Last updated: September 4, 2024
In light of the Africa Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization declaring mpox a public health emergency of continental and international concern, Last Mile Health is proactively tracking the outbreaks within our countries of operation and across the African continent.
At this time, we are working closely with our Ministry of Health counterparts in Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, and Sierra Leone to monitor cases and provide support to the national response. We are also closely monitoring the situation in Accra, Ghana, the location of our global headquarters, as well as in all countries where any remote employees reside. Drawing on our experience during previous outbreaks including COVID-19 and Ebola, we will prioritize:
- Partnering with governments on developing a national response and providing technical assistance where relevant
- Upskilling community and frontline health workers to ensure they can keep safe while continuing to provide essential and quality care
- Ensuring the continuity of primary healthcare services in rural and remote communities
Ultimately, the mpox outbreaks underscore the crucial role of the professional community health workforce as part of resilient health systems that can respond to disease threats and maintain uninterrupted primary healthcare services. In addition to conducting surveillance and identifying cases, community and frontline health workers can work together with communities on building awareness, provide equitable access to preventive and curative treatments including vaccines, and link patients to the formal health system for advanced care. To ensure a rapid, safe, and effective response to mpox and other diseases, we must invest in paid, professionalized community health workers and the systems that support them.
We will provide updated statements regarding any significant developments in or impacting the countries where we work.
