National Monkeypox Community Forum

Context

In Australia, as of 27 September, there have been 136 cases of monkeypox. Globally, more than 67,000 monkeypox cases have been reported across 106 countries. Almost all of these cases are among gay and bisexual men. Australia’s community-controlled HIV and LGBTIQ+ health organisations are leading national and state and territory efforts to support the community to navigate this health threat.

Focus

This forum will provide gay and bisexual men as well as men who have sex with men (trans and cis) with information and access to community health professionals who can assist them in making informed decisions about staying safe and seeking protection against monkeypox.

The forum will:

• outline essential information regarding monkeypox, Australia’s response and national trends;
• discuss current protection options that are available for monkeypox with a focus on vaccination; and
• address any community concerns/questions about what monkeypox will mean for them.

This forum is designed for community as opposed to clinicians or healthcare professionals. As there will be attendees from across Australia, we will not be going into detail regarding specific state and territory monkeypox policies.

Speakers

Professor Michael Kidd, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Australian Government

Dr Vincent Cornelisse, specialist in sexual health medicine and addiction medicine, Kirby Institute and UNSW

Matthew Vaughan, Acting Director, HIV & Sexual Health, ACON

Moderated by Heath Paynter, Deputy CEO, AFAO