By Abass Jalloh
The Pillar Lead at the Emergency Response Centre, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Harold Thomas has confirmed that Sierra Leone is optimistic in terms of preparedness for the monkeypox disease which was announced in neighbouring Liberia.
Speaking to Politico, Thomas said that “apart from Liberia having a case, we are on alert because Sierra Leone has gotten at least one or two outbreaks in the past”.
“Although we do not have a current outbreak now, we have handled monkeypox and we are vigilant and are looking out for cases and trying to do some preventative measures so that we will prevent any monkeypox virus,” he assured.
He said they have put up a robust surveillance programme that is “on alert”. “Even cross-border preventive measures have been taken, and we also have the capacity to actually isolate the monkeypox virus and that other educational health communications have been playing an important role,” he said.
He added that in the past, they had information and communication materials for the disease and that they are still valid to educate the people in the communities.
Thomas said Sierra Leone does not have a current outbreak, noting that “in 2014, we had an outbreak [of monkeypox] in Pujehun and later we had another in Bo and Kenema as well, but these were isolated cases, and those outbreaks were done with”.
Liberia recorded its first case of the monkeypox disease on Saturday 23rd July 2022 on the same day the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global health emergency of international concern.
According to officials, the case was detected in a place called Maryland County in which a person who had traveled from neighboring Cote d’Ivoire showed signs and symptoms of the disease.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (27/07/22)
