As of 20 April 2022, 111 cases had been reported from the UK, and as of 27 April 2022 approximately 55 probable and confirmed cases have been reported from 12 EU/EEA countries. An additional 12 cases have been reported from the United States (US), 12 from Israel, and one from Japan. The clinical picture is of severe acute hepatitis requiring hospitalisation with jaundice and markedly elevated liver transaminases. In most cases to date, the onset of jaundice was preceded by a gastrointestinal illness with vomiting, diarrhoea, and nausea. Information on the outcome of the cases is still being collected. So far, most patients for whom information is available have recovered, but a number have progressed to acute liver failure and required liver transplantation.

As the World Health Organization (WHO) works toward its goal to eliminate hepatitis B by 2030, the quest to halt hepatitis B mother-to-child transmission has never been more urgent.

Many of the key issues brought into focus over recent years have combined to delay progress of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of hepatitis B. Such issues include racial inequality, discrimination against women, and gross inequalities of healthcare access across the globe.

If we are to reach the 2030 hepatitis B elimination goals, we must address the systemic barriers to PMTCT around the world. Caring for women means providing antenatal care, sexual and reproductive health promotion, and access to essential and lifesaving care. Providing this to mothers, their new-borns and their children is vital for ensuring that hepatitis B is adequately addressed.

This toolkit, jointly created by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), provides health authorities and event organisers with ready-to-use and customisable tools for public health preparedness and risk assessment; early warning, alert and response (EWAR); and event-based surveillance; contact tracing; and risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) including health information and advice on monkeypox for mass gatherings.

This resource toolkit accompanies the Interim advice for public health authorities on summer events during the monkeypox outbreak in Europe, 2022, aiming to provide concise advice to public health authorities and guide their prevention and RCCE interventions before, during, and after upcoming summer events. The toolkit offers a one-stop-shop for technical guidance, trainings, materials and operational tools to support health authorities and event organisers prepare for upcoming large and mass gathering events during the summer. The toolkit will be updated with new materials and resources over time. Different sections can be used by health authorities and other audiences to formulate advice to business and venue owners and event organisers, as well as participants themselves. All advice can be adapted to the local context and the relevant audience and translated into national languages as required.