As Mpox Cases Increase, the MoH, NPHIL, and Partners Develop Strategies to Curb Transmission within 90 days

MONROVIA, LIBERIA: As Liberia faces a critical juncture with sustained urban transmission of the Mpox virus, the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), in collaboration with international partners, have outlined several preventive measures to curb the rapidly spreading transmission rate.

Liberia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Catherine T. Cooper, emphasized that without bold actions, the transmission of Mpox will continue to escalate, putting lives, health systems, and communities at serious risk.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Ministry of Health, NPHIL, and partner agencies are working together to address the Mpox virus outbreak. They have committed to implementing a series of measures aimed at reducing transmission over the next 60 to 90 days,” Dr. Cooper stated during a press conference on Friday, November 7, 2025.

Dr. Cooper stated that one of several measures is to intensify active case finding and ensure all confirmed cases are placed into treatment centers. This will allow for timely management of cases, utilizing both home-based care and attention within health facilities.

"We will enhance services at the Liberia Center for Infectious Disease Hospital by providing essential medical supplies, diagnostic tools, and equipment to the hospital and other isolation centers. Additionally, we will conduct refresher training on mpox complications for frontline clinicians, supported by simplified tools and job aids."

Dr. Cooper emphasized the importance of effective risk communication and community engagement. She highlighted the need to empower community leaders, market leaders, and youth networks to promote early reporting and safe behaviors, such as hand washing and increased awareness of sexual transmission. 

Additionally, the Ministry of Health and NPHIL announced the launch of a preventive ring vaccination campaign in Montserrado and other high-risk areas where there is a significant number of cases and ongoing transmission trends.

The Mpox vaccination campaign will begin with awareness and sensitization efforts in November 2025. Actual vaccinations are set to start in the first week of December 2025 and will continue until February 2026. This campaign targets individuals aged 18 and older across Liberia and is part of measures aimed at curbing the rapid spread of Mpox.

Dr. Cooper revealed that a consortium made up of the United States Centers for Disease Control, the Africa Centers for Disease Control, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), UNICEF, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) donated an additional 42,720 doses of Mpox vaccines to the Government of Liberia.

She mentioned that the daily operational calls for the Incident Management System (IMS) are essential for addressing emerging case issues in a timely manner. These calls focus on securing logistics, including fuel and maintaining the cold chain, as well as monitoring hotspot dashboards to ensure precise resource deployment. 

Additionally, weekly Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) audits are conducted to maintain a goal of zero exposures for Health Care Workers (HCWs), and supportive supervision is implemented as part of the strategies aimed at preventing the transmission of Mpox.

According to Dr. Cooper, these measures arise from the most recent reporting period (November 3, 2025 - Sitrep #87), during which a total of 2,447 suspected cases of Mpox were recorded. This trend indicates ongoing transmission across 15 counties, affecting 65 out of 98 health districts.

“Of these suspected cases, 2309 samples have tested and 1,308 cases have been laboratory confirmed, reflecting a cumulative positivity rate of 56.6%, which indicates significant ongoing community transmission,” Dr. Cooper said.

However, she stated that the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the National Public Health Institute (NPHIL), in collaboration with relevant partners, continue to implement enhanced surveillance, laboratory testing, and case management measures to control the further spread of the infection.

"Currently, there are 148 active Mpox cases under monitoring and clinical care in designated Infectious disease hospitals, treatment Isolation facilities, and Home-Based Care settings. Of these, Montserrado accounts for 57% affecting Bushrod, Commonwealth,” Dr. Cooper disclosed.

She added, "In Central Monrovia and Somalia Drive, Nimba is experiencing an 18% impact, affecting Sanniquellie Mah, Bain Garr, and Zoe Geh. Margibi is facing a 7% impact, which affects the Firestone and Kakata districts. Grand Bassa has a 5% impact, affecting Buchanan and District #4. Grand Kru is seeing a 4% impact, affecting the Trehn, Barclayville, and Jroah districts. The other counties are reporting impacts of 2% and below." According to Dr. Cooper, recovery efforts have been largely successful, with 1,154 patients reported to have fully recovered after treatment and clinical follow-up.

She stated that, to date, "Liberia has reported six (6) deaths due to Mpox, resulting in a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 0.5%. This relatively low CFR indicates the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Health and its partners to enhance surveillance, case management, and public awareness initiatives." 

Despite these efforts, Dr. Cooper noted that the continued emergence of new suspected cases highlights the necessity for sustained vigilance, community engagement, and adequate resource mobilization to effectively control and prevent the further spread of the disease within Liberia.

Dr. Catherine T. Cooper revealed that the main objective of these measures is to identify and investigate 90% of suspected mpox cases within 24 to 48 hours across the country. Additionally, the goal is to ensure that 100% of collected samples are tested, with results available within 48 hours. 

She emphasized that achieving zero preventable mpox deaths and minimizing severe complications are key targets of the ministry. This will be accomplished by enhancing Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity, providing timely diagnostics, offering refresher training for clinicians, and integrating care for HIV, nutrition, and mental health to help reduce transmission.

According to Dr. Cooper administering at least 42,720 doses of Mpox vaccines to high-risk populations in priority districts and counties by the end of January 2026, with rapid ring vaccination in hotspot communities, made it to the list of the ministry’s goals.

Dr. Cooper added that Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) aimed at attaining 80% awareness on safe practices, early care seeking across the country, particularly in hotspot counties, including Montserrado, Nimba, Margibi, and Grand Bassa, amongst others, by January 2026 through targeted Risk Communication and Community Engagement interventions.