Sierra Leone: 9 Deaths, Over 1,100 Mpox Cases Reported (Latest Update)
The number of reported Mpox cases in Sierra Leone has risen to 1,140, with nine fatalities recorded since the start of the year, according to a recent update from the Ministry of Health.
A previous report from health authorities released last week indicated six deaths and 763 confirmed cases within the country.
The capital, Freetown, has seen the highest number of Mpox cases, totaling 838 as per the latest figures.
The incidence of Mpox has surged in recent weeks in Sierra Leone, which declared a public health emergency in January following the detection of its first two cases. This declaration aims to combat the potentially fatal viral disease.
In early April, the country launched a vaccination campaign targeting children under the age of 12, at-risk individuals, and healthcare workers who are especially vulnerable. This initiative was made possible after the receipt of 61,300 doses from the World Health Organization (WHO).
In response to the escalating number of Mpox cases, the government opened four treatment centers in the capital in February to improve patient care.
Mpox, caused by a virus belonging to the same family as smallpox, predominantly presents as a high fever accompanied by skin lesions known as vesicles.
First identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1970, the disease had remained largely confined to about ten African countries for many years.
However, it began to spread globally in 2022, reaching developed countries where the virus had never circulated before.
In 2024, the WHO issued its highest level of alert in response to this outbreak.
