- Health Ministry Intensifies Surveillance, Tracing and Public Awareness as Region Sees Surge
The Gambian government has officially declared an outbreak of mpox following the confirmation of a single case on Tuesday, joining a growing list of West African countries grappling with rising infections.
The Ministry of Health announced that it is actively conducting contact tracing, community engagement, and intensified surveillance to prevent the spread of the disease.
The outbreak in The Gambia comes amid a broader regional spike. Mpox remains a global health emergency, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which reaffirmed its alert last month in response to increasing cases across West Africa.
Mpox is caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox. It can be transmitted from infected animals to humans and also spreads between people through close physical contact.
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From January to late May 2025, Sierra Leone reported 3,350 cases with 16 deaths. Liberia had 71 active cases as of early June, according to its National Public Health Institute. Guinea reported over 200 cases since September 2024, while thousands more have been recorded this year in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Burundi.
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Health authorities across the region continue to urge vigilance and early reporting of symptoms as they ramp up efforts to contain the outbreak.
