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The Government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), officially declared the end of the Mpox outbreak in the country on Monday, December 15, 2025.
Health Minister Dr. Austin Demby announced the milestone, confirming that the nation has met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) public health standard of passing forty-two days without recording a new case.
According to health officials, all sixteen districts in the country have exceeded this safety threshold, with some areas recording no new cases for over 150 days.
Since the outbreak was first detected and declared a Public Health Emergency in January 2025, Sierra Leone has recorded a total of 5,442 confirmed cases. Of these, 5,382 patients have recovered, reflecting a survival rate of approximately 99 percent. The case fatality rate was recorded at 1.1 percent.
The Ministry of Health attributed the containment of the virus to a robust national response strategy. During the outbreak, over 186,000 individuals were vaccinated, with priority given to healthcare workers and vulnerable populations. Additionally, contact tracing teams monitored over 22,500 individuals, and national laboratory capacity was expanded to nine testing sites.
“This is not luck,” Dr. Demby stated regarding the declaration. “This is leadership. This is systems at work.”
The announcement coincides with the second anniversary of the National Public Health Agency (NPHA). Established two years ago, the agency has been central to the government’s “whole-of-society” approach to disease surveillance and case management.
The government credited the dedication of medical staff and the coordinated efforts of international partners for successfully ending the health emergency.
