Freetown ‒ Sierra Leone is deploying a differ of measures to maintain an eye on and discontinue an outbreak of mpox in which 20 cases possess so a long way been reported since the illness turned into confirmed on 13 January 2025.
The National Public Well being Agency, with support from partners, including World Well being Group (WHO), is stepping up illness surveillance to detect cases, provide care and discontinue further unfold of infection. With technical and logistical support from WHO, emergency public health staff are enhancing active case search and investigation for a simpler outbreak response.
Sierra Leone has been reinforcing preparedness and potential to answer to public health emergencies in recent years. In November 2024, WHO supported the training of 65 health staff and laboratory personnel in diagnostic procedures and sample assortment. Furthermore, 160 health staff were trained on integrated arrive covering surveillance, case administration, infection prevention and maintain an eye on, laboratory practices, and chance communique and neighborhood engagement. This proactive arrive ensured frontline staff were prepared to administer the mpox outbreak from the onset.
To further abet curb the unfold of the illness, a consignment of 61 300 vaccine doses is anticipated to be delivered in the coming weeks in Sierra Leone as a end result of support from WHO and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Africa Products and services for Illness Maintain an eye on and Prevention and UNICEF. These organizations will conceal operational charges for the vaccination targeting at-chance folk, including health staff. Furthermore, efforts, coordinated by partners, including UNICEF, are underway to increase public consciousness concerning the illness in addition to assist preventive measures and the importance of seeking scientific care.
WHO has already delivered over US$ 38 000 worth of wanted laboratory supplies and non-public protecting instruments, including gloves, robes, aprons, face shields, biohazard ruin bags, and infrared thermometers. Supplies also included genomics sequencing reagents, PCR kits for 400 tests, GeneXpert cartridges for 50 tests, and genomic sequencing kits for 45 tests.
Clinical care could perchance be being reinforced. WHO has procured cure kits for 20 inpatients and 180 outpatients and is providing technical abilities to clinicians and other responders by assisting in the planning of response actions and developing case administration guidelines and training programmes.
“In spite of various challenges, WHO has successfully mobilized sources in any admire ranges to lift a must-possess commodities, including vaccines,” says Dr George Ameh, WHO Representative in Sierra Leone. “We can continue to support the nation to bring this recent outbreak below maintain an eye on.”
An upsurge of mpox (formerly is named monkeypox) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its unfold to neighbouring international locations turned into declared a public health emergency of international divulge on 14 August 2024. At total of 22 international locations in the African blueprint possess reported cases since 2024, of which 12 currently possess active outbreaks.
WHO and companion organizations are working carefully with the affected international locations to contain these outbreaks. According to Professor Foday Sahr, the Director of Sierra Leone’s National Public Well being Agency, the support by WHO “continues to be certain that our ministry and company succeed in safeguarding the health of our electorate.”
Mpox is a viral illness triggered by an orthopoxvirus. It spreads mainly via discontinuance contact with any individual who has mpox, causing a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and fever. In severe cases, the illness will even be deadly.
