Guinea is finally declared Ebola

The fever spread stealthily and terrifyingly from December 2013, striking two neighbouring countries, Sierra Leone and Liberia, with sporadic cases also in Mali, Nigeria and Senegal.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the end of the Ebola outbreak in the west African country, two years after the epidemic began there.

A country is considered free of human-to-human transmission once two 21-day incubation periods have passed since the last known case tested negative for a second time.

The virus killed over 2,500 people in Guinea alone since the outbreak began in 2014 and has left around 6,200 children orphaned.

Lu said since the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa previous year, China has provided prompt assistance and has been the first to implement its promises of providing helps. Sierra Leone was declared free from transmissions November 7, this year, Liberia was declared Ebola-free twice, but had entered a third countdown after the new cases emerged.

About 11,000 people died in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone from the disease. It was most recently declared free of Ebola on Sep 3, but cases in November ended that status.

However, Liberia has had new cases since the declaration.

A DH spokesman said, “Locally, we will remain vigilant and work closely with the World Health Organization and relevant health authorities to monitor the latest developments….”

The announcement was followed by news of ceremonies planned for Wednesday, officiated by President Alpha Conde, accompanied by representatives from donor countries and organizations that helped resource the frontline response to the crisis, such as the Red Cross, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US.

“My colleagues and I at the World Bank Group congratulate the government and people of Guinea on reaching this important milestone”. But, many Guineans are grieving the many friends and relatives that they lost.

But a top public health official cautioned Tuesday that “the coming months will be absolutely critical” in Ebola’s old hot zone.

“The time-limited persistence of virus in survivors which may give rise to new Ebola flares in 2016 makes it imperative that partners continue to support these countries”, said Bruce Aylward, WHO special representative for Ebola response. It is the last of the three West African countries that were hardest hit by the outbreak to be declared clear of infection.