Ebola epidemic halted in Guinea

Guinea has been declared Ebola free after more than 2,500 people died from the virus in the West African nation, leaving Liberia the only country still counting down for an end to the ruinous epidemic.

 The virus first emerged in Guinea and has been circulating there for longer than anywhere else although it saw fewer cases overall than neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone. The country may be declared Ebola-free on January 14, according to WHO.

“The coming months will be absolutely critical”, said Dr Bruce Aylward, the WHO’s special representative for the Ebola response.

Guinea was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization on December 29, 2015.

The Guinea announcement was the latest positive news in the region’s fight to bring an end to the debilitating outbreak.

Guinea will now enter a 90-day period of heightened surveillance.

“We have to be very careful, because even if open transmission has been stopped, the disease has not been totally defeated”, said Alpha Seny Souhmah, a Guinean health technician who himself was infected but survived.

“It’s important to take a pause and be thankful for where we’ve arrived at and get to work rebuilding that health system and making it more resilient for the future”.

Since Ebola was contained in the West in 2014, however, western governments and media outlets have largely ignored the continued suffering of Africans. Despite the fact that just one person in USA (who was not American) died from the disease, warnings filled headlines and Americans were terrified they could be next.

The UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) also welcomed the news, but noted that more than 22,000 children lost one or both parents due to Ebola.

Strong recent growth has been curtailed in Guinea and while Liberia has resumed growth, Sierra Leone is facing a severe recession, according to the World Bank, which has mobilised $1.62 billion for Ebola response and recovery efforts.

The disease killed 100 health workers in Guinea.

They will help with medical care and psychological support, screening for persistent virus, plus provide counseling to help Ebola survivors return to their families and communities, and education to reduce stigma and minimize the risk of spreading the virus.

But there are also unknowns – the virus can persist beyond 42 days in certain body fluids, and in sperm can live for almost nine months – and there is a risk of rebound.