Mpox in Sierra Leone: Inside the response to a fast-moving outbreak
July 1, 2025
Sierra Leone is battling its worst mpox outbreak, with over 4,489 infections and 29 deaths since January. While the case fatality rate is low, rapid urban transmission is overwhelming the health system. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has stepped in to support treatment, surveillance, and community outreach, including the establishment of a 50-bed treatment center and infection control efforts. However, stigma, misinformation, and vaccine shortages are undermining containment. As MSF stresses, sustained international assistance is crucial—not only to halt transmission in Sierra Leone but also to prevent further regional spread. This is a test of global solidarity and urgency.
Sierra Leone’s escalating mpox outbreak has emerged as one of West Africa’s most urgent public health crises. As of July 1, the country has recorded over 4,489 confirmed infections and 29 deaths—its largest outbreak on record. Although the national case fatality rate remains relatively low at 0.6%, the scale and speed of transmission are taxing a fragile health system and exposing deep vulnerabilities in surveillance, treatment, and public awareness.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is partnering with the Ministry of Health to mount a multifaceted response. Efforts include the opening of a dedicated 50-bed mpox treatment center in Freetown, strengthening infection prevention and control (IPC) through PPE distribution and chlorine production, and upgrading laboratory capacity. These interventions are vital, yet they face formidable barriers—chief among them stigma, misinformation, and vaccine scarcity.
Stigma remains a formidable challenge. Patients often delay care due to fear of rejection or shame, arriving at treatment centers with advanced symptoms that require complex, resource-intensive interventions. Misinformation has further amplified these fears, deterring people from seeking care or adhering to safety protocols. As MSF emphasizes, robust community engagement and health education are essential to dispel myths and build trust.
Meanwhile, although over 45,000 people have been vaccinated—including health workers and high-risk contacts—this falls short of the demand. More doses are urgently needed to protect frontline staff and curb community spread. MSF’s medical coordinator, Dr. Htet Aung Kyi, underscores that a strategic, data-driven vaccine rollout is critical.
The message is clear: Sierra Leone cannot do this alone. Sustained technical, financial, and logistical support from international partners is essential to scale up care, improve diagnostics, expand vaccination, and defeat stigma. Containing this outbreak is possible—but only if global actors treat it with the urgency and equity it demands.