Sierra Leone declares mpox emergency after confirming 2 cases
Sierra Leone has declared a public health emergency after confirming two mpox cases, with the Health Ministry focusing on managing the situation, breaking transmission chains, and enhancing surveillance. Mpox, which is related to smallpox, has seen global outbreaks, and Sierra Leone's first case was confirmed on January 10.
- Health
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 12:41 | 14 January 2025
- Modified Date: 12:46 | 14 January 2025
Sierra Leone has declared a public health emergency after confirming two mpox cases.
"Key strategies, including managing the current situation, breaking chain of transmission & heightened surveillance are central to the ongoing response," the Health Ministry said in a statement on X on Tuesday. The West African nation confirmed its first mpox case on Jan. 10.
Mpox, caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox, and is characterized by high fever and skin lesions known as vesicles. In 2022, outbreaks were triggered in more than 70 countries across the world.
The World Health Organization had declared the disease a public health emergency of international concern in August 2024.
In Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo remains the worst-hit country, with a vast majority of more than 49,000 suspected cases and 1,100 deaths confirmed in the continent since January 2024, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In 2014, Sierra Leone was the epicenter of Ebola outbreak.