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The Government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Health, has come to the conclusion to introduce new social distancing regulations to help contain the spread of the Mpox virus, as cases continue to rise across the country.
According to a publication by Awoko Newspaper, the information was disclosed by the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Charles Senessie, while speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in the Moyamba District Council Hall. Dr. Senessie was addressing a gathering of local authorities, Members of Parliament, farmers, traders, and pupils from across various chiefdoms in the district. He confirmed that Moyamba has recorded 11 cases of the virus so far.
“The Ministry will soon roll out policies aimed at reducing human contact, especially through social distancing, to mitigate the transmission of M-Pox,” the Deputy Minister stated. “Initially, patients were advised to manage their symptoms at home, but as cases increased, we directed them to seek treatment in hospitals.”
Dr. Senessie emphasized that the Ministry is now taking a more aggressive approach to removing infected individuals from communities and increasing public awareness through education and sensitization campaigns.
“In recent weeks, we’ve seen daily case numbers drop slightly to between 150 and 160. This gives us hope that our intensified public education and intervention strategy guided by President Julius Maada Bio’s directive will lead to eventual containment,” he added.
He also highlighted new findings indicating that the virus now more frequently affects the genital area, particularly in adults aged 25 to 35, raising fresh concerns about its mode of transmission.
“Hotspot areas, especially the Western Area, have been mapped out for targeted interventions,” he said. “The virus is spreading rapidly, especially through close, personal contact. That’s why the government has equipped the Police Training School in Freetown with 400 hospital beds to isolate and care for patients.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), M-Pox spreads primarily through close, physical contact, such as touching, sharing personal items like towels and bedding, and intimate encounters. It is not typically transmitted through respiratory droplets alone in open settings like classrooms or markets, although laboratory studies show the virus can be detected in respiratory secretions and can spread between animals in confined, close quarters.
