Sierra Leone has reported 384 confirmed cases of mpox in just one week, accounting for 50.7% of all cases in Africa, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
This represents a 63% jump in confirmed cases in the country over the past week.
The West African nation has been struggling to contain the outbreak, with the Africa CDC highlighting funding, contact tracing and laboratory capacity as major issues.
Currently, Sierra Leone has only 60 beds available in mpox treatment centers, but there are approximately 800 active cases, forcing most infected individuals to stay at home.
The outbreak remains a public health emergency due to the rising number of cases and geographic spread.
Mpox cases in other high-burden countries like Uganda and Burundi are declining steadily, while cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo are showing signs of flattening.
Health workers in Sierra Leone have been prioritizing vaccination efforts, particularly among high-risk groups, in an attempt to break the chain of transmission.
