Mpox After-Action Review Plenary Meeting
New Brookfields Hotel, Freetown
Sierra Leone
30th May 2026
Hosted by the National Public Health Agency (NPHA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health
The Mpox After-Action Review (AAR) plenary meeting was convened at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown, hosted by the National Public Health Agency (NPHA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The event brought together senior government officials, district medical officers, technical experts, and international partners to reflect on Sierra Leone’s Mpox response, consolidate lessons learned, and strengthen preparedness for future public health emergencies. Importantly, the US State Government, through Jhpiego, supported the plenary workshop, underscoring the value of international partnership in national health security.
The session began with silent prayers led by Dr. James Squire, director of surveillance and epidemiology and incident manager for the Mpox response, setting a reflective tone for the day. In his welcome remarks, Dr. Squire emphasized that the AAR was not about blame but about consolidating gains, identifying gaps, and strengthening preparedness. Dr. Alie Wurie, Chief Medical Officer, welcomed participants and highlighted the importance of continuity from the Intra-Action Review to the AAR, stressing that lessons learned must serve as a foundation for resilience. A statement on behalf of NPHA leadership was delivered by Alhaji Dr. Mohamed Alex Vandi, Deputy Executive Director, who expressed gratitude to government and partners for their support during the outbreak. He underscored the importance of preparing before crises occur and addressing pillar-specific challenges. Professor Brigadier Dr. Foday Sahr, Executive Director of NPHA, was unable to attend due to competing official duties, but his leadership throughout the response was acknowledged.
Partner contributions were central to the plenary. Dr. Monique Foster, CDC Country Director, praised Sierra Leone’s rapid activation of response structures, scaling up of surveillance and laboratory capacity, and effective coordination. She urged that we institutionalize lessons learned to strengthen systems and workforce capacity. Madam Agnes Dama of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reflected on MSF’s role in case management and treatment centers, emphasizing the importance of collaboration with national health authorities. Other partners, including WHO, Jhpiego, HEADA, GOAL, PSI, AFENET, and UNICEF, also made statements briefly acknowledging their contributions to surveillance, logistics, infection prevention and control, risk communication, workforce development, and child health. Their collective input reinforced the collaborative spirit that underpinned the Mpox response.
Technical presentations provided evidence-based insights. Miss Lily Kainwo outlined the methodology of the AAR, linking it to International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) obligations, which require countries to conduct after-action reviews following significant public health events. Dr. Mustapha Jalloh presented epidemiological data and transmission dynamics, while Mr. Wesen Konteh detailed the improvement plan. This plan set out short-term priorities like workforce training, resource mobilization, and strengthening surveillance systems; medium-term goals such as institutionalizing coordination mechanisms, expanding laboratory capacity, and enhancing logistics; and long-term strategies focused on resilience, structural reforms, and embedding lessons learned into national policy frameworks. The Improvement Plan was designed to ensure that operational processes, resource flows, and institutional structures are continuously optimized to deliver faster, more efficient, and sustainable responses.
Professor Dr. Charles Senessie, Deputy Minister of Health I, led the plenary discussions and guided dialogue on lessons learned and the way forward. He emphasized local innovation, vaccine access, and district-level engagement, while district medical officers shared experiences on challenges such as isolation center resourcing and patient care. The discussions highlighted the importance of collaboration between national leadership, district teams, and partners and commended the “find them all” campaign and strong risk communication efforts.
Importantly, the plenary itself was recognized as a critical step following the AAR. While the AAR provides a structured review of the response, the plenary serves as the platform where findings are validated, shared across all levels, and transformed into actionable commitments. It ensures that leadership, partners, and frontline responders collectively own the lessons instead of confining them to technical reports. The plenary therefore bridges reflection with accountability, creating consensus on the improvement plan and charting a unified path forward for Sierra Leone’s Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) system.
From a technical perspective, the plenary documented strengths, identified gaps, and generated actionable recommendations to strengthen PHEM. The way forward includes anticipatory rather than reactive responses, with emphasis on preparedness activities such as scenario planning, simulation exercises, and continuous workforce development. District-level capacities will be leveraged, and partnerships will be strengthened to secure vaccines and essential supplies.
The plenary was formally concluded by Dr. Alie Wurie, chief medical officer, who expressed deep gratitude to partners, the leadership of NPHA, and the dedicated workforce. He emphasized that the AAR and plenary were not just looking back but were forward-looking technical reviews that aligned Sierra Leone’s systems with international obligations, consolidated lessons, and charted a clear roadmap for resilience. His closing remarks reinforced Sierra Leone’s determination to institutionalize lessons, strengthen coordination, and invest in preparedness, ensuring that the country’s PHEM system is positioned to respond faster, more efficiently, and more sustainably in future public health emergencies.
Public Relations Unit
NPHA-SL