The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the current outbreak of monkeypox a global health emergency on Saturday. In the west, the outbreak has been detected among gay and bisexual men. In India, four cases have been reported so far, with three affected individuals having a travel history.

Experts have suggested launching a monkeypox surveillance program discreetly in a faceless manner to avoid stigma or blame for a specific group of people. They warned that to determine the virus spread, random samples should be tested from sentinel centers and sexual clinics to prevent discrimination. Also, a consensus is building for targeted surveillance among the HIV-infected and people indulging in high-risk sexual behavior.

UNAIDS, a leading global effort to end AIDS, stated that the lessons from the AIDS response showed stigma and blame directed at a particular group of people could undermine the outbreak response. Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, an epidemiologist, stated that in India, monkeypox screening can be carried out with the help of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) among key sub-populations.  

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/93097167.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst )