The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) has intensified cross-border health surveillance at Liberia’s border with Sierra Leone proactively to enhance early detection, diagnostics, and care for suspected or confirmed Mpox cases.
Speaking during the national “One Health” platform meeting held on Thursday, May 22, 2025, NPHIL Director General Dr. Dugbeh Chris Nyan announced that coordinated field visits to key border areas have been conducted, particularly along the Sierra Leonean frontier, in collaboration with local health promoters and international partners.
“As part of our ongoing surveillance activities, samples have been collected from border communities,” said Dr. Nyan. “So far, five samples have tested positive, marking the total number of confirmed active Mpox cases in Liberia at five. Fortunately, no fatalities have been recorded.”
To support the response, over 8,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine are currently available in Liberia. These doses are prioritized for known contacts of confirmed cases, frontline health workers, and border security personnel.
The cross-border initiative comes amid a concerning surge in Mpox cases in neighboring Sierra Leone. According to the National Public Health Agency of Sierra Leone, as of May 22, 2025, the country has recorded 1,904 active Mpox cases, 14 deaths, and 893 recoveries.
With a population of 8 million, Sierra Leone has received just over 61,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine, which are being administered to high-risk groups.
At a recent briefing by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) held on May 18, Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya reported a sharp weekly rise in Mpox cases in Sierra Leone, increasing from 483 to over 600 new cases. He identified six hotspot districts, including Freetown and surrounding urban and rural areas.
Dr. Kaseya noted that the outbreak in Sierra Leone, driven by the globally circulating clade 2b strain, accounts for 58.2% of all reported Mpox cases across Africa. Alongside Sierra Leone, the most affected countries include the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, and Burundi.
While Uganda and Burundi have shown declining cases, the regional threat remains high.
“We are still in the middle of this public health emergency of continental security,” said Dr. Kaseya.
