Sierra Leone’s Mpox Surge Puts Africa’s Epidemic Preparedness to the Test
June 16, 2025
Sierra Leone is confronting a major mpox outbreak, now the third largest in Africa, with over 4,000 confirmed cases. Despite activating a Level 2 emergency response and opening treatment centers, authorities face vaccine shortages and public reluctance toward care. This resurgence underscores regional vulnerability and the urgent need for coordinated leadership from institutions like WAHO and RCSDC. With outbreaks spreading to Togo, Ghana, and Liberia, a region-wide response is essential. Without sufficient vaccine access, funding, and surveillance, containment will falter. Regional solidarity and global investment must rise to meet the moment, turning this crisis into a foundation for lasting preparedness.
Sierra Leone is grappling with a significant mpox outbreak—its most severe yet—with over 4,000 confirmed cases and 25 deaths as of mid-June 2025. The country’s response, led by its Ministry of Health and National Public Health Agency, has included activating a Level 2 emergency response, launching public education campaigns, and deploying newly opened treatment centers, including one supported by Médecins Sans Frontières. Despite these efforts, challenges remain: vaccine supplies are exhausted, community compliance is uneven, and funding shortfalls are stalling full execution of the national Mpox Incident Action Plan.
This crisis highlights systemic weaknesses exposed during past epidemics, including Ebola and COVID-19. Although lessons have informed improved surveillance and health worker training, the high cost of vaccines—over $100 per dose—renders widespread immunization out of reach for many. With 5,900 contacts traced and regional cases rising in Togo, Ghana, and Liberia, Sierra Leone’s outbreak is a regional alarm bell demanding cross-border collaboration.
Regional institutions such as the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and the Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC) must lead. Their roles in coordinating regional procurement, logistics, and advocacy are now more critical than ever. These bodies can elevate the response beyond national borders—mobilizing political will, technical support, and global resources.
This mpox resurgence should not be viewed in isolation. It is a clarion call to invest in West Africa’s epidemic preparedness: stronger primary healthcare systems, diagnostic labs, trained personnel, and rapid data-sharing networks. With the virus spreading across borders and testing both local and international resolve, only unified action will prevent further loss and solidify long-term health security. This moment must be seized—not just to contain mpox, but to reinforce the foundations of epidemic response across the region.