How uplifting it is to receive that final push just when victory is in sight! That is exactly the momentum Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health has gained with the donation of an additional 67,000 doses of Mpox vaccines from the U.S. Government.
Receiving the consignment on behalf of the Government and people of Sierra Leone at a ceremony held at the ministry Conference Hall, Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby (PhD, MPH) expressed gratitude to the United States, underscoring how critical such a support is in the nation’s drive to hit and sustain zero Mpox cases.
Dr. Demby noted: “We’ve moved from 2,000 active Mpox cases a few months ago, to just 63 cases currently. That shows how far we have come. But now is not the time to celebrate, it is the time to be cautiously optimistic and stay focused on defeating this outbreak once and for all.”
Today’s donation he said represents another milestone in Sierra Leone’s battle against Mpox. “With cases now drastically reduced and sometimes days passing with zero new infections —the country is edging closer to full control of the outbreak,’’ he stated.
Adding that, despite global shortages and competition for vaccines, Sierra Leone has so far secured an impressive 267,000 free doses through the generosity of the United States and other international health partners.
Special thanks go to President Julius Maada Bio for his steadfast leadership in this fight.
