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“THE COMMUNITY REDUCED the numbers, identified symptoms, got tested and got tests for their partners, and that is how we reduced the numbers.”
Dr Cathal O’Broin, a consultant in infectious disease at St Vincent’s University Hospital, put the response of the gay community as being instrumental in tackling the monkeypox – now renamed as mpox – outbreak in Ireland.
Speaking at an online event in November O’Broin said that “many STI clinics could do monkeypox testing, or direct you to the right place”.
Adam Shanley, MPower programme manager for HIV Ireland, was on the forefront of Ireland’s public health response.
He said that the gay community in Ireland, which endured the HIV epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s, when the disease was largely fatal, responded well to public health messaging.
This has led to no cases of mpox being reported in Ireland on the week before Christmas – up to 17 December – for the first time since the outbreak began.
“When the national crisis management team formed for mpox, they wanted really meaningful engagement with the communities most affected by it, and the response that was put in place was indeed meaningfully informed by communities,” he said.
“Although mpox can affect anyone, the response was different to the Covid-19 response because it involved targeting a particular community in society, so a targeted response was key.
“Within the LGBTQ+ community, we have a long legacy in relation to public health and health seeking behaviour. We had to reach subsets who may be resistant to state authority, so a peer-led response was vital.”
Within the gay community, however, there was significant frustration – sometimes verging on anger – about the HSE’s response and inability to procure vaccines.
Others, meanwhile, said that they found it hard to see their friends in other countries get vaccines while the gay community in Ireland had to wait for so long.
As part of our SYSTEM OVERLOAD investigation, today Noteworthy examines the response to mpox by the Irish public health system.
This morning, we reported that Covid was the kick that jolted a creaking public health medicine system, with recruitment targets being broadly met by the HSE.
Mpox was the first big test for Ireland’s public health system. So, how did we fare – and what can we learn?
Mpox, a viral disease in the same family as smallpox and cowpox, and spread through close contact, was first detected in Europe and North America in May.
It’s a virus that’s normally found in central and western Africa, and is usually self-limiting but unpleasant, and rarely fatal. Mpox found its way to Northern Ireland in late May and was reported in Ireland days later.
For a world just emerging from the worst scars of Covid, it felt all too familiar. Were we on the cusp of another global pandemic, and how ready was Ireland to deal with it?
In June, the World Health Organisation declared mpox as a “public health emergency of international concern”, noting that it had spread rapidly and posed a risk for people in Europe where cases were high. Where the WHO declares a global health emergency, there is an onus on countries to respond rapidly.
Although mpox is not a sexually transmitted infection, it was spreading primarily among men who have sex with men, as it can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact.
Although the gay community worked to keep the infection numbers down, Ireland struggled to access the mpox vaccine. Unlike Covid-19, when it first emerged, there was already a vaccine for monkeypox, the same vaccine that was used to eliminate smallpox.
This led to significant frustrations among those in need of inoculation and called into question our ability to respond to infectious diseases.
Dr Ciaran Browne, chair of the national monkeypox crisis management team, said at the online event in November that the HSE immediately tried to procure vaccine stock.
“But there was limited stock out there. The HSE, Department of Health and Minister for Health contacted the manufacturers.
“During the summer, we were monitoring peak infections and numbers were increasing. In August, the European Medicines Agency advised on intradermal vaccine delivery, which allowed more vaccines to be given.”
Because of the limited stock, only some people were given vaccines, despite widespread willingness among the gay community to take them.
In October, all vaccine appointments were booked within hours of the online portal opening, and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly confirmed that an additional 15,000 vaccines had been purchased.
Speaking to Noteworthy, Shanley of HIV Ireland said that there were relatively few cases here in comparison to our closest neighbours, with very few hospitalisations.
“There was a wide spectrum of experience, from a minority of more extreme cases, to those that might be described as mild, and some asymptomatic transmission. But there were social and mental health impacts: having to spend a month in strict isolation and the stigmas that some attached to mpox.
A month in isolation meant a month off work, and only standard illness benefits applied, forcing some to make difficult choices where their case was mild. Some had no choice but to keep working.
Shanley said that in order to “have meaningful public interventions, we need to be able to encourage and support people in isolation”.
“We have a strong history of mobilisation in our community, as we have seen with HIV and with syphilis outbreaks, and that is the one of the reasons why Mpower was the vehicle for the message
“We are about responding to the sexual health and wellbeing needs of our community, using evidence-led and research-based, sex positive and non-judgemental approaches.”
Because of outreach at the most local possible level, and because mpox was spreading during Pride month, Shanley believes the messages were absorbed quicker, by a community willing to listen and eager to be part of the response.
“Whether deciding on behaviour change, acting on awareness or getting the vaccine appointment when it was available, all these behaviours had a big part to play in minimising cases.”
From a public health perspective, Shanley says it would be remiss not to have learned lessons from the mpox outbreak.
“Speed of response is important, and it worked well in the first cases. I saw clinicians, epidemiologists and people from across the HSE doing their best to pull together.
“But we were not speedy to respond with vaccines, and it was difficult to be involved in the response, and be the target audience, but looking at Europe and North America where people had their shirts rolled up and were getting a shot in the arm so many months before us. It was disappointing.
“While those who worked in procurement did their level best, there must have been some barriers to accessing vaccines in a timely manner.”
Delighted to get a monkeypox vaccine at a pharmacy in Marseille today. It's bittersweet though knowing that my friends and patients in Ireland are still waiting to hear of even a tentative schedule for the vaccine rollout back home. 1/ pic.twitter.com/n8DgXb9EdN
— Ralph Hurley O'Dwyer (@ralphhod) August 10, 2022
At the event, Browne said that he appreciated the frustrations of the gay community and that the vaccination programme was one part of the HSE response but, with limited availability, the priority had been to provide treatment to those who had contracted mpox.
He said that the HSE will continue to review access to vaccines and, in line with the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) guidelines. to vaccinate anyone who feels they may be at risk. Vaccination centres are currently throughout county Dublin as well as in Portlaoise, Wexford, Cork, Limerick and Galway.
The HSE was approached for comment on lessons learned from monkeypox.
Vaccines for mpox are now readily available in Ireland but Shanley said that equal access to vaccines across the world needs to be a key part of future public health responses.
“Mpox was a novel outbreak here among gay and bisexual men, but it has been endemic in Central and African countries for so long, and they do not have one vial of those vaccines.
“If we choose to ignore emerging zoonotic diseases from [some tropical and/or African countries] until they reach our shores, this will happen again. But if we supported those countries, and ensured vaccine equity rather than allowing one company to hold the recipe, we would not have reached this point.”
—
As part of this series, Noteworthy found that public health reform is finally taking off but success depends on the State tackling inequality
Have a listen to The Explainer x Noteworthy podcast on our findings
By Peter McGuire for Noteworthy
This investigation was proposed and funded by readers of Noteworthy, the crowdfunded investigative journalism platform from The Journal.
Please support our work by submitting an idea, helping to fund a project or setting up a monthly contribution to our investigative fund HERE>>
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Gender quotas brought in to fight discrimination creates a whole new form of it!
I think, if you look at it, the law treats both genders the same: there must be at least 30% women and 30 % men.
The law has to treat individuals equally, not groups
Not true. The law doesn’t assess every six-year old individually to see if they can drive, or vote. It treats them as a member of a group (in this case, young people) and denies them the right to do both.
This is a real joke and a state of the world we live in.. IF 30% of the party has to be women, grand, put some quality women candidates out there and they might get elected.. Stopping other people running is wrong.. I wouldn’t care if 100% of a party or in fact the whole of government were men, as long as they were the right people and fairly elected by the voters, i.e us.
The real joke and the elephant in the room is that we are obligated to fund the electoral campaigns of political parties and their hopefuls.Read this and weep
Well if we are going down this road where is our equal rights for fathers ??????.
I admire this guys integrity for taking a stance on his principles that could ultimately cost him dearly. I would welcome the opportunity to vote for such a person regardless of party.
Also, gender quotas are actually grossly insulting to women as they set in place a structure to balance a perceived handicap….. ie.God love her,she’s only a woman, we have to help the poor thing.
He is right. 100% right.
Absolutely. Remember that the High court did’;t test the constitutionality of it,. It only concentrated on whether he had grounds through FF. The constitutionality is the important bit. I think he’s doing us all a big favour and a service by doing this and I commend him. In fact, if there was a crowdfunding account I’d throw e30 in for him.
Happily give to that cause!
Papa Smurf you never miss an opportunity to express your misogynist views…you can set your watch by it.
I love these type a stories…there’s hours of entertainment in them. They bring out the reactionary, angry, old, male boomers who enjoyed privileged careers, with less education and talent, which they would never have had without discrimination against women. Equality is the end of their world and their reactions are priceless.
Some people are too thick to understand how gender quotas subvert the democratic process and are, as and of themselves, discrimimatory.
Boganity seems very worried that men are finally hitting back. Get used to it , honey.
Gender quotas are the ultimate insult to any gender.
I hate gender quotas. Pick the best candidate, regardless of gender otherwise the implication is that a woman got picked only because she’s a woman. I vote based on policy, not gender. At the end of the day, why should it matter whether you’re the daughter, or son of a political dynasty. ; )
He is right. This is like the complaint about lack of oscar nominations for African Americans, should a different skin colour get a certain quota even if they’re undeserving in their field. Why should a certain percentage on the ballot ticket be based on gender, surely should be based on merit and competence for the role, male of female
Re: Oscars. Seeing as how movies, creative writing and interpretive storytelling are culturally white, western pursuits – shouldn’t Jada smith et al desist from this cultural appropriation?
Back to the 1930′s with you Scarr.
Good point. Fling some of that PC dung right back!
By the same logic we need percentages of gays, travellers, women, married, single, variations of colour. Crazy stuff!
I’m just not sure how many votes this black lesbian traveller will get, whether she’s married or single
Good on him for taking the challenge. It’s a stupid law that fly’s in the face of democracy.
We don’t have enough representation of people with red hair either
Gingers have no souls. Do you really want them representing you?
Mmm.. But we do have long memories Daisy… Welcome to Red Thumb city. Population – you..
There may be reasons beyond institutional sexism and patriarchy to account for a discrepancy in numbers. Tell that to the feminists though. They won’t hear of it.
Interestingly enough, I haven’t heard them call for gender balance in those attaining higher level degrees, or gender balance in legal and medical graduates. I wonder why that is…..it might have something to do with the fact that that particular inequality is in their favour.
Gender quotas in Politics are a good idea and they’re proven to work. I cant be bothered explaining to you amadhains why that is. Keep up the linear thinking on gender issues guys…Its so dopey.
^^^ the left. Above we can see an example of a standard leftist tactic – can’t debate so go for a smear. You will see similar wherever leftists chime in to degrade the conversation with juvenile name-calling.
How do you know I’m a leftie scarr?
He has a point Louis, you have the opportunity for reasoned debate and you choose abuse
All I’m saying is that it is ridiculous to think of things in absolutes when talking about gender. Gender quotas are not ideal but we do need more women in politics for the good of everyone. It’s not happening organically so it needs to be given a helping hand. Women in the world perform 66% of the work for 10% of the income. Shouldn’t we try and do something bout that. It’s called a pluralistic position.
Your condescending tone and sense of superiority doesn’t convince me
I’m just sick of the thinly veiled sexism.
Doesn’t… ‘tell that to the feminists though. They won’t hear of it’… seem condescending and superior to you?
Tha 66%t statistic is from a study in 1970
Sorry Mark… I read it on on Oxfam brochure. What about the substantive (relevant) part of my point? you have the opportunity for reasoned debate and you choose nit-picking.
Louis – resorting to smear tactics as an opener instead of debating the issue was a good indicator.
I didn’t smear anyone. I said directly what I thought if you’re ideas.
It was the main crux of your argument so I felt it important to point out ot us not a true statistic, nor was it ever true and it’s definitely not relevant to modern day. The other stats may have been closer to reality in 1970 but now is a lot different. I think modern feminism is in crisis with itself to be honest, as barriers have been removed in thr western world to their campaigns which were at their heights in the 70s and made a real difference, to where they are nowadays struggling for the relevance they used to have and reactions they used to get…. Opportunities are there for women for some reason men are blamed if they are not taking them. Gender quotas as wrong and anti equality to uboth genders.
Nobody is blaming anyone. People are just trying to put in place a framework. The quota includes a quota for men.The question of whether they are taking/being given opportunity is a redundant one. It is an existential problem that doesn’t seem to be improving and gender balance is a proactive move,
Louis – you didn’t reply to any of my points, called opposition amadhains and dismissed contrary arguments as “dopey” – if not smearing, it sure smells like it.
Plus… Its not really a women’s rights issue. It’s about improving the institution of governance. I just find it strange why it is such an emotive topic for men especially.
It’s really an issue of proportional representation.
“The question of whether they are taking/being given opportunity is a redundant one.” This is 1000% incorrect; this is the only question that matters in this debate. It is such an emotive topic, and not just for men, because once the opportunities are available to all equally, attempts to distort the selection process for electoral candidates with the imposition of this type of restriction is a fundamental affront to democracy..
What kind of democracy are we talking about? I presume we are talking about representative democracy, in which case the only thing gender quotas are an affront to is your sense of male privilege.
And we already affect the election process by having constituencies.
You really are bloody clueless, Louis. The only discrimination going on here is against this lad in the courts. As for “male privilege” – what do you think that is?
Louis, here’s an honest question for you. Do you believe that a female voter can only be represented by a female politician?
No… Not at all Jason. But I do believe that women as a group are completely under-represented at a governmental level in Ireland and that the decision making process that affects all of us (not just women) is overly dominated by men. Like I said, gender quotas are not ideal but in the absence of progress in this area, they are a means to an end.
…and as a man, I wouldn’t more balanced opportunity to be represented by more women myself.
…wouldn’t mind a more balanced…
Your point doesn’t make any sense though. Women are free to vote for whoever they wish and, if they choose a male candidate over a female candidate, that means that the woman is being represented as she sees fit. An singe arbitrary statistic in itself is not a meaningful judgement of the current political climate.
The simple fact is women do not find politics appealing and, for this reason, they do not get involved in it to the same degree as men do. If you want more women in politics then make it interesting for them or push more on the advertising front. There’s no need for discriminatory legislation which openly discriminates against men.
@ Jason. All politics are local and at local level, it’s a far greater challenge for a woman to enter into a political race as a candidate. The idea that they do not find it as appealing is false. Just check the grass roots organisers and fund raisers and campaigners at local level where woman are very well represented..
Like I’ve said already. This is not an equality issue. It’s about producing more dynamic governance and making the best of the resources you have. People naturally see gender quotas as some kind of discrimination. The reality is that they are progressive measure aimed at putting together a framework.
If they work and I think they will, they will be unnecessary in the future.
Whatever your ideas about Sinn Feinn are, this is something they have been proactive in doing for years and it has worked out very well for them.
“To be eligible for membership of the Dáil:
You must be a citizen of Ireland
You must be over 21 years of age and
You must not be disqualified from election to the Dáil”
Directly from citizeninformation.ie. You’ll note that there is nothing there stating extra conditions for women. If a woman wants to run for the Dáil but does not have the backing of a political party she can put herself forward as an independent. Absolutely nothing stopping them.
I honestly don’t see how you can label something which openly blocked multiple people from running for the parliament because they happened to have male genitals as ‘progressive’. It’s the exact opposite.
@Louis look at female sports events….. While the percentage of female spectators at female sports is higher than males in total number more females will attend male sports than their own genders event. Ie women’s gaa or soccer… It’s a similar thing for politics, studies show women don’t vote for women and judge them to a higher standard than male candidates. it seems you are here putting the blame towards men for issues which directly relate to women, even with these quotas in place parties are finding it hard to get enough females to fill roles and after that to get other women to support them. It seems maybe feminists should be targeting women and educating them on these issues with campaigns rather than constantly blaming ills on men, or try find out why women don’t support women… I have never voted on the basis of gender I consistently vote on issues, in last election my 1st preference was female. Not because she was a women but what she seemed to represent. This time around its a male as he seems to be similar to my beliefs.
So they push a gender quota through. What is the next quota they’ll want to introduce?
Very few minorities in the dail now you mention it.
Probably because few minorities in Ireland. Probably why they’re called minorities
It’s a democracy, if anyone has the ability and will to take a seat in the dail then go for it! But rightly so nobody is going to hand it to you on s plate
Gender quotas is the first step. In time the likes of O Riordain, Bacik and other assorted leftists will be campaigning for race quotas, ethnicity quotas, maybe even sexual identity quotas.
I’d go for a quota of non-teachers myself!
Definitely. Bi, bi curious, pan, Omni, trans, fluid, gay, lesbian, hetero and homo . Can’t discriminate against any, it would be sexist….against what. I’m sure tomororro the whacko world of group identity and gender politics will find a myriad of new labels to bellyache over.
Don’t see what the issue is. All he has to do is say that he’s a woman – it worked for yer man from RTE.
Fight identity politics in all its forms. Make politics more accessible to people with familial responsibilities, but not through discrimination.
He’s clearly being discriminated against due to his gender and for no other reason. What did this do, except hand the unelectable Mary Fitzpatrick another shot at it.? She already had her chance and wasn’t. A young enthusiastic lad was discriminated against for no good reason and I really hope he wins his case.
Unfortunately until there are more women and indeed young men with families as tds there won’t be family friendly policies. Need to get rid of some of the dinosaurs. Once that happens there’ll be no need for quotas. At the moment with 16% women in the Dail quotas seem to be needed.
Family friendly has nothing to do with it. Politics is not a family friendly business. You are on call 24-7. That’s not going to change nor should it.
So should we tell the HSE to stop hiring female nurses until an acceptable balance has been reached between male and female nurses, even though there just aren’t that many males interested in nursing?
Different issue Jason.
Why, because it’s a female-dominated profession so it’s perfectly fine?
It’s the exact same Louis. The fact that you’re claiming otherwise shows clear hypocrisy in your viewpoint.
No Jason because nurses don’t represent the people, make laws etc etc. 84% of the population is not made up of men, and in particular old men, therefore parliament as it stands is not representative of the people. People complain about the old boys club in politics but when there is an actual policy to deal with it what do you get? More complaints of course!
Fiona, the members of the Dáil are elected by the voting population. The people choose to put them there. Therefore the members of the Dáil are representative of the people. Are you actually going to claim that a woman can only be represented by another woman? Also this is not a complaint about changing the system. It’s a complaint about a blatantly sexist law. Plenty of men have been prevented from running for their parties simply because they are men.
I voted for a female candidate last GE. With the introduction of this it will never happen again, regardless of how impressed I am by an individual.
Good thinking Jimmy. Atta boy
Same here, Jimmy. I won;t vote for a female candidate now, and it has caused immense damage to female candidates.
because you blame the women?
No, because I know there’ll be plenty of people like you who’ll go off and vote for them simply because they have a vagina. This isn’t 1973. Women are at no disadvantage here, and in fact the main parties are already, pre-quota, putting female candidates forward more than women themselves are as Independents suggests absolutely no bias.
This is a charade. I’m not playing along.
Yep don’t vote for Quota Queens…
But why note vote for a woman ‘regardless of how impressed’ you are?
Despite quotas I’ll be giving my #1 to a female candidate – based on her work, not genitals.
I’ve said it before but it’s worth repeating: there’s nothing as tedious as a male feminist.
To be fair, I’ve heard more female politicians speak against quotas than for them.
What has that got to do with it?
It means that even the people who stand to benefit from the quotas are mostly against them. The only ones who are supporting quotas are the unelectable candidates who now have a shot just because they happen to be women.
We also need more gingers. At least 20%.
Fight discrimination and end efforts by the State to try to influence candidate selection by political parties.
If I thought a candidate was deliberately picked to fill a quota, they wouldn’t get my vote. On point. gender quotas and affirmative action are demeaning and counterproductive. Who’d want to be the candidate that carries that whiff of tokenism.
Gender quotas try to eliminate one percieived bias but in effect create another bias. It amounts to nothing more than ‘tokenism’. Every appointment should be on merit.
I wish a female in the government, like Joan Burton or Jan O’Sullivan, who presumably earned her position without quotas would come out against them. It’s insulting to say that women can’t get into government without the quotas. If they’d only realise how much more damaging it is to them in the long run…
I will not even consider voting for any female candidate until this situation is rectified.
I admire him as well. Gender quotas are ridiculous. I would never vote for a female ( or male ) just to make a gender quota. If you are good enough to run for election then run. If not, then go away. It’s the feminist agenda. Now get into the kitchen like good girl and make me a cup of tea !!!!
Gender quotas are an abomination, we should always pick the best candidate unfortunately political parties frequently put forward incompetent idiots who appeal to the brainwashed party faithful.
Quotas like this lead to discrimination. If numbers of women elected so not increase will calls for further measures be taken e.g. quota for elected women? Of course this lad is objecting because it is in his interest. Though many of the main supporters for this measure are women who have failed to be elected so they are looking out for their interests too. If you want more women to run for office remove the barriers that make them decide not to run. Don’t put barriers in front of men who want to run
Sounds hot jon stynes ,ginger quotas ftw
“I genuinely think what I’m doing is right” – gender quotas appeal heading for Supreme Court. He is 100% right but for the wrong reason, he wants to be on the ticket himself. I would never vote on gender basis and hate having candidates forced on me because of their gender. This will backfire.
And how would you know his sole reason is simply to get himself on the ticket? Quotas are wrong for elected office, and that’s reason enough for him to speak up.
He was forbidden from running because he has a penis. That’s a very valid reason for bringing a case against the state as it was open discrimination. If a woman was told that she couldn’t run for a management position due to the fact that she was a woman then that business would be rightfully sued for a lot of money.
I was listening to this clown today, this has nothing to do with discrimination as such, and all to do with party funding.
You’re wrong; and that’s OK.
He was forbidden from running by FF because he is a man. If that isn’t gender discrimination, I don’t know what is.
Politics is a man’s world.
War, revolution, economics, power, history, destiny, that sort of thing.
Man’s stuff.
Because women in power have never led a state to war… You really should pick up a history book.
Why is the state funding political parties? yes you guessed it, in a vain attempt to stop corruption. wonder who introduced that legislation. I think his bank account is abroad and in sterling. Its just too funny, Fin Fail will go to court and argue that gender balance is wrong but not one word on corruption the reason 100% of these payment are made. These millions of euros are nothing to the amount of fraud being carried out daily.
Who is paying for McDowell and all his advisors? ??????
Same people paying his pensions but this case will be considered in the public interest .
‘Tokenism’ is the policy and practice of making a perfunctory gesture towards the inclusion of members of minority groups.
Does this mean that the social democrats couldn’t run a third fake candidate?
have your say