“It’s About Time”: NCSD Applauds HHS For Long Overdue Declaration Of Emergency On Monkeypox & Calls For Swift Action

For Immediate Release: August 4, 2022
Contact: Steph Reichin | 617.549.3745| NCSD@SKDKnick.com

Washington, DC – Following the long overdue declaration of a public health emergency on monkeypox made by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, and Monkeypox (MPV) Coordinator Bob Fenton and Deputy MPV Coordinator Demetre Daskalakis, the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) issued the following statement urging the administration to take swift action and fast-track next steps in the emergency response process: 

“For nearly three months, STI clinics have been alone on the front lines of this outbreak, fighting a battle to keep their communities safe without the necessary resources to adequately treat their patients, prevent further infection or enough access to vaccines. HHS’s declaration of a public health emergency is the right thing to do and we applaud their actions. It’s about time.” 

“With this declaration in place, the administration must act quickly to allocate funding to state and local health departments for STI clinical services to deal with MPV. Since the start of this outbreak, STI programs have been the go-to source for patients and have acted as trusted providers to the communities they serve. 

“For our best chance at slowing this virus, we must work together. That’s why we are  immediately seeking a strategy session with The White House Monkeypox Response Team to map out what is needed on the ground, and outline the best way forward. We look forward to working with the administration to ensure this battle does not become a war we can’t win,“ said David C. Harvey, Executive Director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD).

Background

Over the past several weeks, as cases of MPV have continued to steadily rise in the US, mirroring the disease’s rapid spread around the world, the STI field has been tapped to deploy its expertise in disease outbreak response, testing and treatment and community education. STI clinics on the front lines continue to report that the lack of dedicated funding and ongoing administrative barriers have severely limited the ground-level response. A survey conducted just last week shows that STI clinics are one of the primary points of care for MPV patients but they have not received the financial support they need to cover costs.