**Call for Vigilance: A New Epidemic in Light of Past Experience**
The alarming observation of two cases of mpox recently confirmed in Sierra Leone challenges not only public health officials, but also the international community, already exhausted by the fight against various epidemics. The declaration of a health emergency by the Minister of Health, Austin Demby, is an expected reaction to a virus whose resurgence in the region is not very reassuring, as the still vivid memory of the Ebola epidemic haunts memories.
MPOX, a virus from the same family as smallpox, has always seemed confined to certain regions of Africa. However, its sudden expansion in countries that were initially considered safe raises crucial questions about the preparedness of global health systems in the face of emerging biological threats. The World Health Organization (WHO), which recently warned of this disease by raising its alert level, recalls the need for a rapid and coordinated response, reflecting a reality where national borders are no longer sufficient to contain epidemics.
Sierra Leone, a country already tested by the Ebola ordeal between 2014 and 2016, which claimed nearly 4,000 victims, is at a critical crossroads. Will the expertise obtained by the health system during these past crises be a sufficient asset to control a new epidemic in a global context of ongoing health crisis? The exercise is complex, and the lessons of Ebola must be learned in depth. The country, which took years to regain health stability, could easily fall back into a spiral of despair if MPOX is not controlled.
This observation raises the central question of our overall preparedness for public health management and resource mobilization in times of crisis. Compared to previous epidemics, the arsenal of responses, whether vaccination campaigns, awareness raising or testing, must be fine-tuned with the precision of a clock to avoid the failures observed during previous emergencies. Rapid identification of cases, coupled with proactive action on the ground, could counter the dynamics of spread that have destabilized countries like Sierra Leone in the past.
Demby also spoke of the need to raise awareness among the population and encourage citizen vigilance. This echoes a global trend where community engagement has become a cornerstone of the fight against epidemics. The distance between health institutions and affected populations risks creating gaps in the detection of early warning signals, making each civil society actor essential to the equation.
The dynamics of an epidemic of this magnitude are embedded in a global public health ecosystem, where collaboration between nations, scientific research, and data sharing play a crucial role. What does an international epidemic really mean in our interconnected world? With the ease of travel, it is no longer enough to protect oneself only at the national level. The cases in Sierra Leone are just a bitter reminder that viruses, anywhere, can be the precursor to global health crises.
Concerning statistics reveal that, even in countries where healthcare has improved, the risk of epidemics remains high, in particular because of the rise of resistance to treatments and the deterioration of health systems after successive crises. The outcome of the fight against mpox could also be overshadowed by the cumulative impact of the effects of COVID-19 on medical resources.
The coming months will therefore be crucial for Sierra Leone and far beyond. The opportunity to act upstream could transform the country’s health landscape, not only to contain the disease but to build greater resilience for the future. The unity of the international community in the face of this threat must be reaffirmed with increased solidarity between states and health organizations.
In short, the current crisis must be approached not as an isolated event, but as a link in the chain of public health challenges that have accumulated over time. The experience of previous epidemic episodes, integrated with a modern intervention and communication strategy, can help Sierra Leone overcome this new obstacle. The time for action is now, and vigilance must be everyone’s ally in this silent war against the invisible.