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Sierra Leone declared a public well being emergency on Monday to fight mpox, saying it was stepping up surveillance at its borders after confirming two instances of the lethal viral illness.
“The confirmation of two cases of mpox in the country has prompted immediate action as mandated by the public health act,” Well being Minister Austin Demby instructed reporters in Freetown.
“On behalf of the government of Sierra Leone, I am declaring a public health emergency.”
Final week Sierra Leone reported its first confirmed case of mpox because the world’s highest alert stage for the illness was raised final yr.
A second case has since been confirmed after a 21-year-old man confirmed signs on January 6, the Nationwide Public Well being Company mentioned on social media Monday.
The general public well being emergency “allows us to act immediately to mobilize the resources needed to contain the disease, prevent further spread and provide care to those affected,” the minister mentioned.
Demby additionally introduced elevated border surveillance and testing, in addition to the launch of a nationwide consciousness marketing campaign.
He added that Sierra Leone’s medical system was prepared to answer instances, pointing to expertise gained throughout the Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks.
“We urge all citizens to remain calm, stay informed and report any suspected cases promptly to health care authorities,” Demby mentioned.
Mpox is attributable to a virus from the identical household as smallpox, manifesting in a excessive fever and pores and skin lesions, referred to as vesicles.
The World Well being Group (WHO) declared its highest stage of alert in 2024.
Sierra Leone was one of many international locations hardest hit by Ebola, which ravaged west Africa a decade in the past in an epidemic killing some 4,000 folks, together with practically seven p.c of well being staff, between 2014 and 2016.
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