UNAIDS criticises stigma attached to monkeypox outbreak

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids (UNAIDS) has expressed concern that some public reporting and commentary on monkeypox has used language and imagery that reinforces homophobic and racist stereotypes and exacerbates stigmas.  

In a statement criticising the portrayal of LGBTI and African people in particular, UNAIDS pointed out that lessons from the AIDS response show that stigma and blame directed at certain groups of people can rapidly undermine the outbreak response.  

UNAIDS’ response comes after the African chapter of the Foreign Press Association criticized the use of stock images of black people alongside monkeypox coverage despite the main outbreaks currently occurring in European countries.

In its statement, UNAIDS urges media, governments and communities to respond with a rights-based, evidence-based approach that avoids stigma with the Programme’s Deputy Executive Director Matthew Kavanagh warning that stigma and blame undermine trust and capacity to respond effectively during an outbreak like the current one.  

Cases 

A significant number of cases have been identified among men who have sex with men, but UNAIDS points to available evidence suggesting that transmission risks relate to close physical contact and are not limited to the aforementioned demographic.

“Monkeypox is really a disease of close contact. And so the risk to the general public remains very low. However, direct contact with the person who may be infected or who has a confirmed case of monkeypox means that the risk is obviously higher. So, what everyone needs to know is that the risk in general is low and we shouldn’t be concerned. However, if you are concerned about any particular symptoms you are feeling, then please do consult a healthcare provider and let them know what your concerns are. In addition, if you have been diagnosed with a case of monkeypox or you are concerned that you may have this, then the important thing is to isolate yourself. Do not have physical contact with other people,” says WHO Smallpox Secretariat Dr Rosamund Lewis.  

More than 80 cases have been confirmed globally, mostly in European countries, but also limited numbers in Australia and Canada. The United States has one confirmed case in Boston, Massachusetts and a further four suspected cases under investigation.

“The patient was admitted on the 12th, they were being evaluated for various symptoms. During the course of their admission, they were identified as a possible monkeypox subject, and this was very unusual because the patient had no travel history, no exposure to animals that would be known to be reservoirs. The risk factor here has been men having sex with men, that sort of close contact. And that makes sense because the way this is spread is through both respiratory droplets with very close face to face respiratory droplets, but also direct contact with the lesions that that have virus in them,” says Massachusetts General Hospital’s Dr Erica Shenoy.  

WHO says it has been familiar with the virus for 40 years:

Symptoms 

The symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes in addition to patients also developing a rash which begins on the face and quickly spreads to other parts of the body. The WHO has established an incident management team to coordinate the international response. 

”The symptoms of monkeypox are described quite classically as being a rash that is preceded by a fever and feeling slightly unwell for a day or two. And then the rash is a typical rash which goes from a red rash to vesicles, little blisters, to pustules and then to a crust. And then the crust dries up and falls off. This is your classic situation of monkeypox, the classic description,” says Dr Lewis.

UNAIDS says the monkeypox outbreak illustrates that communities will continue to face threats from viruses and that international coordination and solidarity is essential for public health as viruses can only be overcome globally. Their statement also notes the urgent need for leaders to strengthen pandemic prevention, including building stronger community-led capacity and human rights infrastructure to support effective and non-stigmatizing responses to outbreaks.  

WHO says the transmission of the virus remains low: