In April this year, IMST conducted a mission in Sierra Leone and found that the country’s health system was overstretched and overcrowded, with grossly inadequate bed capacity to accommodate more than 1,000 patients in mpox treatment facilities
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 18, 2025/APO Group/ --
Sierra Leone is the latest addition to the Incident Management Support Team (IMST) list of the most mpox-hit nations. Skyrocketing cases are triggering concern across Africa.
Sierra Leone recorded its first case on January 10, 2025. Immediately after, Minister of Health Dr Austin Demby declared a Public Health Emergency, saying at the time the move was necessary to prevent the virus from further spreading.
During a recent online weekly media briefing, Dr Ngashi Ngongo, who leads Africa CDC’s mpox IMST, said cases are down in the main hotspots in the region’s outbreak countries, such as Burundi, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). “We’ve started now seeing also some light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
Sierra Leone reported a rising number of confirmed mpox cases, with over 200 new confirmed cases reported in April, highlighting the increased transmission in the country. In early May, it had half of Africa’s confirmed cases, with its outbreak expanding over the past six weeks and cases rising 71% last week compared to the week before. The country was averaging about 100 new cases a day, he said.
“Of great concern is that in just one week the number of notified cases has increased by 71 percent, and the number of confirmed cases has increased by 61 percent. That is to say that it is really an epidemic that is on the upward trend,” said Dr Ngongo. “We are still concerned about the exponential growth in Sierra Leone.”
Sixty-eight percent of patients are male, mostly 30 to 35 years old, said Dr Ngongo. Seven percent of the illnesses are in people who have HIV, a high-risk group seen in other African countries during the outbreak.
In April this year, IMST conducted a mission in Sierra Leone and found that the country’s health system was overstretched and overcrowded, with grossly inadequate bed capacity to accommodate more than 1,000 patients in mpox treatment facilities.
Dr Ngongo said the treatment centres in the country only had 60 mpox isolation beds and most of the patients were receiving home care, which makes it difficult to ensure compliance with isolation.
He said this was why about 800 active cases are currently being managed through home-based care. “But at the same time, there’s also a huge challenge related to the home-based care, that is, there’s very low isolation compliance. It’s very difficult to maintain people in their homes. They tend also, despite being isolated, to continue participating in social activities and then exposing more members of the community to the virus,” he said.
The assessment also revealed that surveillance in Sierra Leone is mostly passive surveillance. “That is why the positivity rate is far above 50 percent. It means that the people come when they are already very advanced. They come on their own to seek care, instead of being found through active surveillance that can pick them up early and shorten the exposure of the population,” said Dr Ngongo.
Though Sierra Leone has good mpox testing coverage and a good testing rate, it currently has a low contact-tracing ratio, said Dr Ngongo. Only fewer than one in every six confirmed cases has had the benefit of contact identification, and the genomic sequencing rate, which should be around 5 percent, is currently well below 1 percent. Close to 24,000 people have been vaccinated so far, and almost 60 percent of them are healthcare workers.
Since the start of last year, 24 mpox-affected African countries have reported 129,711 mpox cases. Of these, 29,609 were confirmed and about 1,751 related deaths were recorded.
The National Public Health Agency (NPHA) says all 16 districts in Sierra Leone are now affected by mpox. Authorities have expressed concern about the escalating cases, as well as the severity of the cases, especially in people living with HIV.
Sierra Leone is one of 10 countries that have received vaccine supplies with support from partners like Gavi, UNICEF, and the Africa CDC. However, with a population of 8 million people and just over 61,000 doses of the vaccine available, those at highest risk will be prioritised, officials say.
Beyond Sierra Leone, the vaccine shortage is a critical challenge that must be addressed. Africa CDC will continue advocating for increased vaccine availability in the short term, and for local manufacturing and strategic stockpiling in the medium to long term, as part of the legacy of this mpox outbreak.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The terrorist always have the initiative we must stand stronger, and fight them before they even think about attacking our troops and people, we must fight the enemies of this great nation. Somalia now became a base for the international terrorism, and their goal is to destroy the last hope for the Somali people..
Long live Somaliland
Laascaanood will be free from the tribaal institution of SomaliISaaqLand
Long live the brave soldiers of Somaliland, the tugs from Pugland will never defeat you.
Somaliland waa qaran ee maaha qabiil,horay u ahayd qaran maantana waa qaran.Markaa waxan ku leeyahay waan garanayaa ninkan kor wax ku qorayow inaanad Somaliland u dhalan laakiin aad is leedahay isku dir laakiin shacabka somaliland waxaa way ka tashadeen markaa waxan ku leeyahay xanuunka ku haya hanna qaadsiinin.NO QABIIL BUT QARAN.
SOMALILAND LONG LIVE,
Somaliland army will hunt those Bugland militias whenever they are.
Somaliland has been in patiant with Bugland militias but the people of Lasanoodians are happy to be Somalilanders 80 % of them,
Somaliland is a country
Somaliland is a nation.
Elmi Muhumed
Good job Lasaanood Security Forces. Be on guard and vigilant at all time. The safety and security of our country and people depends on you.
God bless Somaliland!
All of us should support peace no matter where either Putland, Somaliland and any where else. We need to put a side for propoganda and help our people to live in safe envornment. Just think outside the box we will be always Somali to other people in the world;therefore, we don't need dislike one another.
Yes, we all have different dreams but the botter line is we should stand up for our people to live in harmony. Having say that if Somaliland isn't clan based authority or government for all us we will see it . Yes, we will give a chance for Somaliland and those of you who are working its cause but sometimes we read between the lines and infact are question Somaliland's future. I don't blame anyone including your leader mr. Riyale. Those of us who live abroad we should stop deep rooted division in Somalis all over the world. I should say these brother who run Somalilandpress do get credits not cuting people voices out regardless of our differences.
@ Ayaanle, …Yes, we will give a chance for Somaliland and those of you who are working its cause but sometimes we read between the lines and infact are question Somaliland's future. I don't blame anyone including your leader mr. Riyale …
'Your leader Mr. Riyaale?" And who is your leader, waaba yaabe? I thought you were said earlier that you were from Awdal. I hardly read your comments because most of the time what say doesn't make any sense to me and that is why I try to ignore it. But it is clear to me noe that you are a heckling impostered. So, why don't you take a hike Ayanle and spend your energy with those other hecklers who comments on Somaliland haters' websites . No doubt, they will listen to your nonsense.
True said Bor. He is another hatred person.
Sister, you sound like you are some of these Somaliland ministers or those who work with them who had earning money from Somaliland and nothing wrong with. I am from Awdal but my leader is stephen Harper if you don't know him he is Canadian leader that we elected. I think my comments doesn't make sense to you because people like me are neutral in Somali political. I careless who my comments make sense or don't. That doen't mean we are forgetting where we from but is rather shaking off the inward thinking.
We also taking to account that we live outside Eas-Africa;therefore, where we live has more to do how we think. In N.America, you will have chines, Indian, and people around the globe in your neighbors and we all respect the laws of the land. Somali people is just too small to divide since all these other communities stick together and Somali community divissions should be contain inside Africa not to follow us whatever we went.
If we see something working for us, we support. I can be Awdals and not Somalilander since I have my home, friends and there. Democracy is matter of choices.I hope the ghoses that hunting Somalis go away.
You are ignorant to the Somali case, therefore it would be better for you to believe the illusion of who you represent, and as long as you don’t understand the fact and the history of the Somali ppl you’re preaching is worthless, and honestly I found it to be bull****
Ayaanle, You express yourself very well..and you are right Somaliland is clan based authority. I am sure my comment will be deleted…ANd i dont understand why you would allow people to write their comments and delele them..
Ayaanle, You express yourself very well..and you are right Somaliland is clan based authority. I am sure my comment will be deleted…ANd i dont understand why you would allow people to write their comments and delele them..
Ayaanle,
Do not Blame the Awdal people, because they are a real Somalilanders, you must know that the BORAMA was one of the somaliland’s mothers.
Time to invade Garowe and clean up this corrupt Froole admin
ur funny bro u fight with a couple darood sub sub clans and u think its war sorry but the real war is coming real soon and trust me u guys will be confined to the triangle burco hargeysa berbera trust me. u guys are trying to slowly move into las canod and other degans in sool sanag and cayn but reality u guys are gonna be crushed trust me the real war all out war will come and we wont rest until we have full control of our territory im a native of sool and i shall stay with my blood brothers in puntland greater somalia
Clannish political elites always find ways to maintain their grip on their clan constituency. In this news article, I do not see anything more than propaganda to secure division among the Somali people. The so called Puntland and Somaliland clan elites are eating off from this division but soon they will yield to the rise of the betrayed people of Somalia by the clannish as well as religious elites. Time for national solution is ripe.
all the arrigant, hypocritical somaliland haters out there get real and sucked up we have made up our minds 20 years ago and it will be that way with or out recognition.
on more thing TO DARAWISH dude snap out of your day dream because once the new kulmiye government takes over you guys will be dealt with an iron fist i assure you short minded all non -loyal dhulbahante clan /darood you have not seen war yet if fought you to our capabilties u will be in boosaasoo.
remember we who kicked out siyaad bare are still alive as well as many brave
somalilanders who are willing to but there lifes on the line
xasan younis is dead {ala ha unaxariistee}but remember we still do have many who are as cabable as him who will make you beg for mercy.
so darawish the dulbahante lesson is just begining so dont get ahead of your self because by time we are done with your people you wont be posting such comments up .
like it or not somaliland way dhaqaaqday
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