Sierra Leone is grappling with a sharp increase in mpox cases, with 177 new infections recently reported, bringing the national total to 763 since a public health emergency was declared in January.
Health teams have been dispatched to conduct screenings in affected households, particularly in Freetown, which remains the hardest-hit area. To manage the growing crisis, four treatment centers were opened in the capital in February, while misinformation and public fear continue to delay testing and treatment.
Government officials have intensified efforts to contain the outbreak, including the launch of a vaccination campaign in April targeting healthcare workers, high-risk individuals, and children aged 12 and older.
With support from the World Health Organization (WHO), and development partners, the country secured over 61,000 doses, resulting in more than 1,000 people being vaccinated so far.
The majority of vaccine recipients are healthcare workers, many of whom are women serving on the frontlines.
Mpox, a viral disease similar to smallpox, causes high fever and skin lesions and was first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970.
Though historically limited to certain African nations, the disease began spreading globally in 2022, prompting the WHO to declare a high-level alert in 2024.
The current outbreak in Sierra Leone has drawn parallels to the devastating Ebola epidemic from 2014 to 2016, which claimed thousands of lives and overwhelmed the country’s healthcare system.
