Sierra Leone has reported more than 3,000 mpox cases since the start of 2025, with 14 deaths, according to the government.
The country’s health ministry announced a nearly 50 percent increase in cases over the past 10 days, from 2,045 to 3,011.
All regions across this West African nation have now confirmed mpox infections, highlighting the virus’s relentless spread.
Mpox, caused by a virus related to smallpox, triggers high fever and painful skin lesions in those infected.
Originally discovered in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the disease largely remained confined to Africa until 2022.
In 2024, the World Health Organization raised the global alert for mpox to its highest level, underscoring rising concern.
To handle the surge, Sierra Leone transformed a police training centre in Freetown into a 400-bed treatment facility.
The nation still remembers its devastating Ebola outbreak from 2014 to 2016, which claimed about 4,000 lives, including many health workers.
Across Africa, mpox cases have surged, with Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Kenya also reporting thousands of infections.
The mounting figures highlight ongoing public health challenges in managing emerging viral diseases across the continent.