The South African Department of Health has reiterated its commitment to pandemic preparedness, as global concerns over mpox resurface with Sierra Leone's declaration of a public health emergency.
This comes after Sierra Leone confirmed two cases of mpox, prompting the government there to declare a public health emergency on Monday and ramp up border surveillance.
Spokesperson for South Africa's National Department of Health, Foster Mohale, said that while no new cases of mpox have been detected in the country, South Africa will remain on high alert in the event that new cases arise.
“The government has pandemic preparedness plan in place for early detection and rapid response to diseases outbreak, and we are working with stakeholders including the NICD, Border Management Authority and World Health Organization (WHO) country office to continually monitoring the situation across the world, especially in countries experiencing the outbreaks, through surveillance systems.”
Sierra Leone’s Health Minister Austin Demby told reporters in Freetown: "The confirmation of two cases of mpox in the country has prompted immediate action as mandated by the public health act.
"On behalf of the government of Sierra Leone, I am declaring a public health emergency."
Last week Sierra Leone reported its first confirmed case of mpox since the world's highest alert level for the disease was raised last year.
A second case has since been confirmed after a 21-year-old man showed symptoms on January 6, the National Public Health Agency said on social media Monday.
The public health emergency "allows us to act immediately to mobilise the resources needed to contain the disease, prevent further spread and provide care to those affected," the minister said.
Demby also announced increased border surveillance and testing, as well as the launch of a national awareness campaign.
He added that Sierra Leone's medical system was ready to respond to cases, pointing to experience gained during the Ebola and Covid-19 outbreaks.
"We urge all citizens to remain calm, stay informed and report any suspected cases promptly to healthcare authorities," Demby said.
Mpox is caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox, manifesting in a high fever and skin lesions, called vesicles.
First identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970, the disease had generally been confined to a dozen African countries but began to spread more widely in 2022, reaching developed countries where the virus had never previously circulated.
WHO declared its highest level of alert in 2024.
Sierra Leone was one of the countries hardest hit by Ebola, which ravaged west Africa a decade ago in an epidemic killing some 4 000 people, including nearly seven percent of health workers, between 2014 and 2016.