Sierra Leone Is Battling an Mpox Outbreak. What Happens Next Affects Us All
June 11, 2025
Sierra Leone is at the epicenter of a fast-moving and deadly mpox outbreak. A newly identified variant, G.1, is spreading rapidly, doubling every two weeks, with genomic data suggesting over 11,000 infections. Local teams are responding with remarkable speed—sequencing, tracing, and deploying real-time tracking tools like Lookout and Sentinel. But their resources are drying up. U.S. funding cuts and global vaccine scarcity are compounding risk. The world must act now: this outbreak is no longer localized, with G.1 cases already appearing in the U.S. and Europe. Sierra Leone cannot and should not face this epidemic alone.
A dangerous new variant of mpox—G.1—is fueling an explosive outbreak in Sierra Leone, where confirmed and suspected cases surged over 60% in just one week. Genomic data suggests that over 11,000 people may already be infected, with cases doubling every two weeks. Nearly half of Africa’s confirmed mpox cases now originate from this one country. G.1 has already been detected in patients in the U.S. and Europe, signaling that global spread is not a risk—it’s a reality.
Despite overwhelming odds, Sierra Leone is demonstrating what epidemic preparedness looks like. Led by its National Public Health Agency and international partners, the country rapidly scaled up testing, began sequencing, and deployed tools like Lookout—an advanced platform that integrates clinical, diagnostic, and genomic data to map transmission in real-time. It is part of Sentinel, a broader epidemic response network co-led by U.S. and African scientists with support from the Audacious Project.
But even the best systems require support. The abrupt cancellation of a $120 million U.S. CDC preparedness initiative and broader funding cuts have left Sierra Leone’s health response under-resourced. Philanthropic partners like ELMA Relief Foundation and Illumina are helping—but cannot meet the need alone. Vaccines are limited, unevenly distributed, and challenging to deploy at scale. Without sustained funding and equitable access to tools like vaccines, diagnostics, and sequencing reagents, this outbreak will continue to escalate.
The lessons of Ebola, COVID-19, and now mpox are clear: early action saves lives and prevents global spread. Sierra Leone’s frontline teams are doing everything right. The world now faces a choice—respond with urgency and partnership, or once again repeat a cycle of preventable devastation. This time, we still have the opportunity to change the outcome.