The United States has declared monkeypox a health emergency. Should Canada follow?

Should Canada follow as the number of cases continues to grow following the US's declaration ofmonkeypoxas a public health emergency on Thursday? Questions have been raised about whether or not.

The US move follows a similar announcement made by the World Health Organization at the end of last month that monkeypox was a global health emergency. In both cases, these developments have attracted more attention and more money and other resources to fight the virus in the United States.

Read more: Monkeypox — The United States declares a health emergency during an outbreak

Infectious disease expert Dr. Donbin At the Magill University Health Center, Canada has become a member of the WHO now that UN agencies have declared the outbreak of monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern. He states he believes he has an obligation to follow.

"We need to respond accordingly," he said. "I think a formal declaration of emergency response would help manage some shepherds and steers, but this may be a bit vague."

Such a declaration in Canada He said it wouldn't have to look like a response to theCOVID-19pandemic, the latest event to urge Canada to declare a health emergency.

However, he triggers the deployment of additional resources to help those who fight the virus in places where the virus is currently prevalent in Canada, preventing it from becoming difficult to contain the virus in the future. Said that it can be done.

Read more:Monkeypox has declared a global health emergency. Do you need a curb for your trip? 

"We now have a window of opportunity to have some control," Vin said.

"What we saw in COVID is that if there is a kind of jumbled approach to this, one city or state does it one way, another city or state another. I think it's about doing it in Canada. You lose the opportunity to control it. "

According to data from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Canada has 931 monkeys as of August 5. We have confirmed monkeypox, which is an increase from 890 cases two days ago. Ontario is now leading the country in case count, taking over from Montreal, Canada's hotspot for the virus until recently.

Zoonotic infections 6,600 people infected with zoonosis up to the last few months It is more than human and the number of cases is higher in the United States. Found outside Central and West Africa.

Canadian monkeypox reaction

State and Biden administrations face criticism of slow response to outbreaks in the United States Major cities such as New York and San Francisco have not received enough two-shot vaccines to meet demand, and some cities have a second dose to ensure a first dose. Had to stop offering.

Canada's response targets the most affected people to date: men having sex It was especially effective to do. Dr. Isaac Bogotti, an infectious disease specialist at the Toronto General Hospital, works with men — ensuring quick and easy access to vaccines and access to virus education through trusted sources in the community.

That's why, except perhaps in technical terms, the state of emergency may not make a big difference, he said.

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"We have treated this as an emergency," Bogoch said.

Read more:Monkeypox is now a global health threat. However, the risk is not always high in Canada. Experts state

.

But in Canada, Bogocchi added that there is still room for improvement, especially in lowering barriers to care, testing and diagnostic capabilities and increasing access to preventative measures such as vaccines. ..

"But it's no problem compared to other places. We really are."

Imminent Canada to declare a public health emergency on Thursday Asked if they are considering it, a PHAC official said Canada "acknowledged the WHO decision and recognizes that a global monkeypox outbreak requires urgent global response." The federal government emphasized. Since the outbreak in May, monkeypox has been a priority.

Sent to the Federal Health Minister's office, Jean Eve Duclos, asking if the government is considering a state of emergency. The question was postponed to PHAC.

Authorities support distributed testing by deploying more than 80,000 Imvamune vaccines in states and territories and providing management materials and protocols to lab partners across the country, PHAC said. It is stated in.

"PHAC and PHAC spokeswoman Anna Madison worked closely with international, state and territory health partners to gather information on this evolving outbreak and monkeypox in Canada. Continues to determine the best course of action to stop the epidemic. Global News.

"Canada also strengthens its global response to the current outbreak of monkeypox, WHO and We will continue to work with international partners. ”

Canada's actual number of cases remains lower than in the United States, but Canada's per capita prevalence is higher than in the south of the border, which is Here are some data points to remember. Sameer Elsayed is an infectious disease physician and professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Western University.

That's why Canada declares monkeypox a public health emergency in the near future, especially if the number of cases continues. He says it makes sense to consider doing. It will rise at the current rate, he said.

Read more: Monkeypox — Top Canadian doctors encourage people at risk of vaccination as more cases occur

But such a declaration requires resources and additional funding for this virus for things like vaccine clinics, contact tracing, testing, education and other means. That would be Elsayed.

Elsayed is more common when the healthcare systems of all states and territories face a situation that virtually every healthcare worker calls a "crisis" of personnel and resources. States that he believes in the declaration of an emergency in health care. Canada needs to be more urgent and closely associated with such a declaration for a single virus.

Then more resources and greater urgency are collapsing under the weight of the major untreated portion of health care, the surge in patients, and the mass outflow of health care workers across the country. Go to many areas of the system. , He said.

"The system doesn't have enough money, so monkeypox needs money, but other conditions also need money," Elsayed said.

"It is reasonable to declare a state of emergency, but only if you declare a state of emergency for the entire healthcare system in a state of confusion."

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