African state launches emergency response to deadly virus

Sierra Leone has mobilized resources including added surveillance to contain the mpox disease

Sierra Leone has declared a public health emergency, after confirming two cases of the mpox virus, previously known as monkeypox. 

The announcement was made on Monday by Health Minister Austin Demby in the west African nation’s capital, Freetown, after a second case of the potentially fatal viral disease was detected.

“The confirmation of two cases of mpox in the country has prompted immediate action as mandated by the Public Health Act,” Demby stated. 

Last week, Sierra Leone’s reported its first mpox case since the continent-wide alert level for the disease was raised last year. In August, the African Union’s health authority declared the spread of the virus a “public health emergency of continental security.”

Morocco confirmed its first mpox case of the current outbreak in September. Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda have also recorded cases of the disease. According to the WHO, many of the infections have been traced to travel connections with eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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The Sierra Leone Health Ministry has reported that neither of the patients had recent exposure to known infected individuals or animals, and that only the first case involved recent travel. The patients have been identified as a 27-year-old man from a village near Freetown, and a 21-year-old male who lives in the capital. Both are currently being treated at a hospital in Freetown.

Demby said the declaration of a public health emergency enables the government to swiftly mobilize resources, prevent further transmission, and ensure appropriate care for those affected. He also announced enhanced border surveillance, expanded testing, and the rollout of a nationwide awareness campaign.

“We urge all citizens to remain calm, stay informed and report any suspected cases promptly to healthcare authorities,” Demby stated.

The minister reassured the public of the country’s readiness to tackle the outbreak, citing lessons learned from managing past health crises, including the Ebola epidemic of 2014 and the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The virus was first identified in macaque monkeys in the late 1950s. The first human case was reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Zaire) in 1970, where the disease remains endemic.