Sierra Leone is grappling with a sharp rise in mpox infections, prompting the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to place the country among the continent’s most affected, just months after it reported its first cases in January.
At a press briefing, Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, head of Africa CDC’s mpox response, noted that while countries like Burundi, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are seeing a decline in cases, Sierra Leone’s outbreak is escalating dramatically. “We’ve started seeing some light at the end of the tunnel in other countries, but Sierra Leone is now reporting exponential growth,” he said.
The West African nation now accounts for half of all confirmed mpox cases on the continent, with a 71 percent increase recorded just last week. The virus, identified as the global clade 2b strain, is averaging about 100 new cases per day. Most patients are men aged 30 to 35, and 7 percent of reported cases involve individuals living with HIV.
Western Area province, which includes the capital Freetown, is the epicenter of the outbreak. Health infrastructure is strained, with only 60 isolation beds available. Many patients are being treated at home, posing challenges for effective isolation and containment.
Despite strong testing capabilities, Sierra Leone struggles with contact tracing. So far, nearly 24,000 people have been vaccinated—around 60 percent of them healthcare workers. Others vaccinated include patient contacts and individuals in high-risk zones.
Elsewhere, signs of improvement are emerging. In the DRC, vaccination campaigns are resuming in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces after months of disruption due to conflict. Testing coverage is also improving in Kinshasa.
Uganda has seen a 60 percent drop in cases over the past month, though HIV-positive patients remain vulnerable. Burundi’s outbreak has declined by over 84 percent since its October 2024 peak, with health authorities intensifying surveillance to eliminate remaining transmission chains.
While trends are encouraging in several countries, Dr. Ngongo cautioned that the region remains at risk: “We’re not yet out of the woods.”