Responding to an mpox outbreak in the heart of Sierra Leone | Doctors Without Borders

By Agnes Dama, MSF medical referent in Sierra Leone

Mpox is not new to Sierra Leone. This is the fourth time that we are recording cases. The current outbreak is hitting the Western Area Rural district and the capital city the most; these are densely populated areas with over 1 million residents. On January 16 this year, the Ministry of Health declared mpox a public health emergency. Presently, all districts in the country have recorded cases, with over 4,000 cumulative cases recorded since the outbreak started. 

Mpox is endemic in around 10 countries in Central and West Africa, and it is a contagious viral disease that can spread between animals and people as well as through close contact between individuals. When the disease is not treated in a timely manner, it can lead to complications and death for affected people, especially if their immune system has been compromised by other diseases. 

With mpox, you can tell that patients are in a lot of pain. I feel terrible seeing them suffer like this. For some of them—fortunately a minority—their bodies are covered with swollen pustules, and it makes it hard to sit or lie down. There are instances where the pustules entirely cover the genitals which is extremely difficult for the patient.