The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its second technical briefing on the ongoing monkeypox outbreak. The briefing shares UKHSA analyses with public health investigators and academic partners.

The latest epidemiological data, findings from interviews with patients and preliminary analyses are included to understand how the outbreak is evolving and to inform timely and effective public health interventions.

Investigations and modelling continue to show that the outbreak is growing and cases remain primarily in gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men (GBMSM), within interconnected sexual networks.

UKHSA continues to work with partners including the Terrence Higgins Trust, Stonewall and the GBMSM community to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of monkeypox. The LGBT Consortium and Pride organisers across the UK have been encouraged to help share public health messaging during Pride month.

79% of England cases are known to be London residents and 99% of all confirmed cases are male, with 5 confirmed female cases. The median age of confirmed cases in the UK was 37 years old.

Of the 813 cases identified in England up to 22 June, 321 (39.5%) had enhanced surveillance questionnaires. The majority (96%) of cases were GBMSM, with further data to indicate transmission is occurring in some sexual networks both internationally and domestically.

Cases frequently reported history of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the last year (54.2%) and 10 or more sexual partners in the last 3 months (31.8%). Existing links between cases and sexual health services will be used to identify those at highest risk who are eligible for pre-exposure vaccination.

Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections, UKHSA said:

“If you’ve recently had new or multiple sexual partners, please be vigilant to the symptoms of monkeypox. Currently the majority of cases have been in men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with men. However, anyone who has had close contact with an individual with symptoms is also at increased risk.

If you are concerned that you may have monkeypox, don’t go to events, meet with friends or have sexual contact. Instead, stay at home and contact 111 or your local sexual health service for advice. Please contact the clinic ahead of your visit and avoid close contact with others until you’ve been reviewed by a clinician.

To assist with our contact tracing, we encourage everyone to ensure they exchange contact details with sexual partners, to help us  limit further transmission where cases occur.

We are grateful to all those who have come forward for testing and who help us understand the outbreak through participating in studies and investigations.

UKHSA will continue to publish regular technical briefings as the response to the outbreak continues.

It is an extraordinary and moving experience to be here in Rwanda today. A country that experienced some of the worst horrors of the 20th century in recent memory, and now finds itself with a thriving social and economic life and near-universal primary education.

Today, Rwanda is hosting leaders representing two-thirds of the world’s population, stretching from the remotest islands of the Pacific to the southern tip of Africa.

Rwanda was never a British colony – it joined the Commonwealth of its own volition in 2009, recognising the benefits that come from being part of a progressive alliance representing two thirds of the world’s population and some of its fastest-growing economies.

As many British Prime Ministers before me – and of course both her Majesty the Queen and the Prince of Wales – have recognised, there are few forums more quietly important for our nation’s peace, prosperity and global influence.

We benefit from the incredible Commonwealth advantage – the ‘fertilizer’ I talked about yesterday – of shared language and institutions, which opens doors and cuts the costs of doing business.

We want to seize those opportunities, and that’s why I announced this week major new British investments in green infrastructure projects, as well as trade schemes designed to break down the barriers to doing business.

This is where the UK is positioning ourselves post-Brexit, in close alliance with our European neighbours but also deepening our ties with old friends in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

More trade, more commerce brings prosperity and stability to other countries, but it also cuts costs for British consumers and opens opportunities for UK businesses –  jobs and growth at home.

Unfortunately, that global prosperity and stability is being threatened by Vladmir Putin’s unprovoked assault on Ukraine.

Many of the countries represented here in Kigali today find themselves bearing the brunt of Putin’s folly, their populations brought closer to poverty by spiralling food and energy costs.

I know of course, and deeply appreciate, that many families and businesses in the UK have been hit hard as well by the rising cost of living.

That is why in our country the Chancellor has introduced an unprecedented package of financial support to support the most vulnerable households.

But we should also recognise the challenges around the world.

The UN estimates that an additional 48 million people will be pushed into acute hunger this year – that is, to the point of starvation – caused by climate change and post-pandemic supply shortages but also by the war in Ukraine.

I spoke to President Zelenskyy last week in Kyiv last week about how we can unblock Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s grain exports.

But today we are also announcing a new £372 million package of UK aid.

That funding will support the UN’s emergency response in the hardest-hit countries, as well as providing cutting-edge science partnerships to look at drought-resistant crops and new agricultural techniques.

And as I go tomorrow night to the G7 in Germany we will also commit to looking at what more richer countries can do to bring down global commodity prices and increase food supplies to get the world economy back on track and stick up for the freedoms in which we all believe.

Thank you very much.

The UK will provide £2.5 million for immediate life-saving support to people in Afghanistan affected by the devastating earthquake this week, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced today.

At least 1,000 people are reported to have been killed in the disaster in the southeast of the country on Wednesday 22 June and more than 1,400 others injured. These numbers are expected to increase as responders reach the hardest-hit areas.

A total of £2 million will go to the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) to provide shelter, medication, water, sanitation, and other basic needs. The IFRC already has staff and volunteers working on the ground to respond to the crisis and help address the urgent humanitarian needs – including in Khost and Paktika, the 2 provinces most heavily impacted.

A further £500,000 will go to the Norwegian Refugee Council, who are already working on the ground, to provide shelter and cash assistance to those affected.

This support will come from the UK’s aid fund for Afghanistan, which is £286 million this financial year, one of the largest bilateral programmes. Last year the UK’s funding supported emergency health services, water, protection, shelter, food, and education through the UN Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and World Food Programme.

International partners, including the United Nations and World Food Programme, are coordinating the global response and rapidly assessing the humanitarian needs. The UK is in direct contact with them to offer assistance and stands ready to consider any requests for aid or other help. UK aid was already delivering to the affected areas prior to the earthquake via the UN, NGOs and Red Cross.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

The recent earthquake is a tragedy for the people of Afghanistan. The scale of need was already severe before the earthquake struck, with more than half of the population requiring humanitarian assistance.

UK support will enable lifesaving supplies to be provided on the ground. Our aid budget for Afghanistan is one of the UK’s largest bilateral programmes and we will continue to work urgently with our international partners to respond to the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

The UK co-hosted a high-level international pledging summit with the UN in March 2022, to provide more vital funds. This helped the response to the UN’s appeal of nearly $4.5 billion for Afghanistan, their largest appeal on record for a single country, reflecting the magnitude of the humanitarian challenge that was already facing the country before the earthquake. UK funding is channelled through UN partners and NGOs. No funding goes to or through the Taliban.

Staff at Sellafield’s Magnox Reprocessing Plant have safely reprocessed the final box of spent fuel from the UK’s fast reactor programme being stored in the plant’s ponds.

It was announced in May that the facility will finish reprocessing on 18 July and enter a new era of decommissioning and clean-up.

This latest achievement marks its final major contribution to managing the UK’s nuclear legacy in a journey that stretches back to 1964.

The UK’s fast reactor, at Dounreay, was built during the 1950s when there was a world-wide shortage of uranium for electricity generation. It became the world’s first fast reactor to provide electricity to a national grid before shutting down in 1977.

Fast reactors came to an end in the UK in the 1980s. But the programme left behind a legacy of spent fuel with a unique chemical composition.

This remained at Dounreay, on the north coast of Scotland, for 35 years until the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and nuclear regulators agreed it could be brought to Sellafield for storage and reprocessing.

Martin Chown, Sellafield Ltd chief executive officer, said:

Throughout its history, the Magnox Reprocessing Plant has delivered on behalf of the UK.

The current workforce has carried on this proud tradition by achieving another significant milestone in its final weeks of operations.

It’s a significant achievement and another demonstration of us delivering our purpose to create a clean and safe environment for future generations.

Reprocessing the final box of Dounreay fuel being held at the Magnox plant marks the completion of a 10-year programme.  It was important to reprocess the fuel to minimise the amount requiring future dry storage.

The programme was a collaborative effort across the NDA Group, involving teams at Dounreay, Sellafield Ltd and Nuclear Transport Solutions.

Chris Wratten, Dounreay Fast React Reactor senior project manager, said:

This has been a key project for the NDA and the entire UK nuclear industry.

By blending and consolidating the material with routine Magnox fuel, the teams have also supported the UK’s non-proliferation and security objectives.

This has been delivered through hard work, determination and perseverance by all those involved, and they should be very proud of this achievement.

A small amount of fuel remains at Dounreay which will be transferred to Sellafield for dry storage before consignment to the UK’s Geological Disposal Facility.