Liberia’s NPHIL Chief Leads Mpox Fight at Kinshasa Emergency Conference

KINSHASA, September 1, 2024 – Dr. Dougbeh Christopher Nyan, Director-General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), is in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, attending an emergency conference with scientists and public health experts from across Africa to address the ongoing Mpox (Monkeypox) outbreak on the continent.

The conference, held this week in Kinshasa, brings together African scientists to focus on the epidemiology of the Mpox outbreak and explore the necessity of linking the outbreak to biomolecular research and development.

During a panel discussion, Dr. Nyan emphasized Liberia’s proactive approach to the outbreak, stating, “In Liberia, we are prioritizing prevention through rigorous screening for Mpox at points of entry, diagnostics, and sequencing of positive cases, which will lead to biomolecular research on the clades [types] of the Monkeypox virus that may be entering or circulating in our country.”

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the Monkeypox virus, which spreads through various means, including personal contact, sexual intercourse, and respiratory droplets.

Approximately three weeks ago, the Mpox outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the Africa CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, countries across Africa have been on high alert.

In Liberia, NPHIL has been actively enhancing its preparedness, monitoring, and surveillance systems, while also activating its nationwide response mechanisms. “We activated our Outbreak Preparedness and Response structures early on, as Liberia has not yet been severely affected,” Dr. Nyan noted during the panel discussion.

The Kinshasa Conference on Mpox is organized by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC) in collaboration with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).