By George M.O. Williams
Sierra Leone has declared a Public Health Emergency following two confirmed Mpox cases. The announcement was made by the Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, on Monday, January 13, 2025.
The National Public Health Agency (NPHA) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) reported the first confirmed case of Mpox on Friday, January 10, 2025. This marks the country’s first case since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in August 2024.
The first confirmed case involves a 27-year-old man from the Western Area Rural District. The case was confirmed through testing at the 34 Infectious Disease Laboratory at the 34 Military Hospital.
Mpox is a viral disease transmitted from animals to humans and between individuals through close contact. Symptoms include fever, skin rashes, and swollen lymph nodes.
Health authorities have activated the incident command system to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread. Immediate actions have been taken, including isolating the patient and providing medical care in a secure environment, conducting extensive contact tracing, and monitoring identified contacts for 21 days.
The statement outlined additional measures such as:
- Strengthening disease surveillance, particularly in areas the patient visited, including Lungi.
- Raising public awareness about Mpox symptoms, transmission, and prevention.
- Distributing personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare facilities and training health workers on infection prevention.
- Collaborating with international health organizations, including WHO, for technical and logistical support.
The public is urged to follow preventive measures such as frequent handwashing, maintaining good hygiene, avoiding close contact with sick individuals, and refraining from handling wild animals. Anyone experiencing Mpox-like symptoms is advised to call the national emergency hotline at 117.
Health teams are actively conducting contact tracing and investigations to identify possible exposures and prevent the virus from spreading further.