Health Authorities Assure Full Preparedness Despite No Ebola Cases

Senior health officials in Sierra Leone have assured the public that the country remains fully prepared to respond to any potential public health emergency, even as they confirm that no Ebola case or suspected case has been recorded.

The assurance was made during the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s weekly government press conference held on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, where health sector officials outlined the country’s preparedness measures, surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, and digital monitoring systems.

Speaking at the briefing, Deputy Minister of Health I, Prof. Charles Senessie, said Sierra Leone’s experience in managing past outbreaks, including Ebola, COVID-19, and Mpox, has significantly strengthened its emergency response capacity.

He noted that the country has transitioned from reliance on external emergency support to becoming a contributor of expertise in global health responses, citing Sierra Leone’s support during the Marburg outbreak response in Rwanda.

According to him, the national preparedness strategy is built around four key pillars: emergency infrastructure, trained human resources, medical supplies and logistics, and disease diagnosis systems.

“All these systems are working in coordination to ensure rapid detection, prevention, and response to any potential outbreak,” he said.

The Executive Director of the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), Prof. Foday Sahr, dismissed public speculation about Ebola concerns, reaffirming that Sierra Leone remains Ebola-free.

“Sierra Leone has not recorded any Ebola case or suspected case,” he stated, adding that the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to classify the country as low-risk.

Despite the classification, he disclosed that Sierra Leone has activated Level Two preparedness measures nationwide as a precautionary step to strengthen surveillance and response capacity.

He further revealed that ambulance units have been stationed at the Freetown International Airport to isolate and transport any suspected cases to designated treatment facilities at the Lungi Government Hospital.

Prof. Sahr added that surveillance activities have been intensified across all land, sea, and air entry points, urging citizens to remain alert and report suspected cases through the national emergency line 117.

“We are fully prepared and operational,” he assured. “People should continue observing preventive measures and avoid unnecessary physical contact.”

As part of efforts to modernize disease monitoring, government officials also announced plans for a new digital Sierra Leone Travel Portal, expected to become operational in the coming weeks.

Software developer Michael Kamara explained that the platform will capture travellers’ health and movement history covering the 21 days prior to entry into the country. The system will apply to air, sea, and land entry points and will initially be free of charge.

He said the initiative is designed to strengthen early detection and improve real-time health monitoring at national borders.

Director of Disease Surveillance and Applied Epidemiology at NPHA, Dr. James Squire, confirmed that Sierra Leone has fully activated a nationwide digital disease surveillance system covering about 1,600 health facilities.

He explained that health facilities are now equipped with digital tablets and internet connectivity to enable real-time reporting of suspected and epidemic-prone diseases, replacing the slower paper-based system used before the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

Dr. Squire clarified that the Ebola strain currently reported in Congo is not present in Sierra Leone, noting that any potential risk would most likely arise through cross-border movement. He urged communities to remain vigilant and promptly report unusual illnesses, particularly among incoming travellers.

Meanwhile, Manager of the Public Health Laboratory at the NPHA, Doris E.F. Harding, assured the public that laboratory systems across the country remain fully functional and capable of detecting epidemic-prone diseases.

She said laboratories in Kenema, Makeni, and Freetown are well equipped with trained personnel and modern diagnostic tools to support rapid detection and response.

Madam Harding added that although the Ebola strain reported in Congo is a newer variant without an available vaccine, Sierra Leone’s laboratory systems are capable of identifying and responding to such threats effectively.

The briefing comes as public concern over infectious diseases remains sensitive, following the country’s devastating 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak. Health authorities say current investments in surveillance, digital reporting, and border monitoring reflect lessons learned from past epidemics and aim to strengthen national health security.