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Sierra Leone Declares Emergency: Monkeypox (Mpox) cases are increasing rapidly in Sierra Leone. The government declared a state of emergency on Monday after two new cases were reported within four days. This decision was taken in view of the rapid spread and serious health effects of the new strain of the virus.
According to the Health Ministry, both the infected persons had not recently had contact with any infected animal or sick person. The first case was reported near Lungi Airport in northern Port Loko district between 26 December and 6 January. Both patients are undergoing treatment in the hospital in the capital Freetown.
Ebola outbreak of 2014
Sierra Leone has faced major health crises before, with the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014 killing nearly 4,000 people. The country lost 7 percent of its healthcare workers due to this outbreak.
Virus impact in Africa
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared MPOX a global health emergency in August 2024. Mpox is a serious disease. It was first observed in monkeys in 1958. Mpox disease is mostly seen in Central and West Africa. In 2022, this virus was found to spread through sexual contact. After which it spread to more than 70 countries. About 43,000 suspected cases may be reported in Africa in 2024. More than 1,000 people died.
Let us tell you that this strain is different from the increased Mpox in 2022, it spreads more rapidly than other strains. This causes a more severe form of the disease. This is different from the strain spread in 2022, which mainly affected men. The virus was brought under control through vaccination of vulnerable groups in 2022-2023.
