Suspected death from Ebola in Sierra Leone

Two swab tests carried out on the deceased person by British health organization Public Health England came back positive in the north of the country, the spokesman said late last night.

THE World Health Organisation hailed an end to the west African Ebola epidemic yesterday as Liberia was declared free of the disease.

The World Bank Group says it has mobilized US$1.62 billion in financing for Ebola response and recovery efforts in the West Africa region which was hardest hit by the virus.

The epidemic dwarfed all previous outbreaks of the haemorrhagic fever, killing some 11,300 people and leaving numerous 17,000 survivors with lingering symptoms. Studies continue to uncover new information about how long Ebola can last in bodily fluids. The country had previously declared itself virus-free in May and September of 2015 but each time a fresh cluster of cases appeared.

Making remarks Thursday at the Ebola Operation Center (EOC) in Congo Town the World Health Organization Country Representative commended the Liberian Government, People, communities, health workers and partners on the successful response to the latest outbreak of Ebola.

“There is still ongoing risk of re-emergence of the disease because of persistence of the virus in a proportion of survivors”. However, the most recent flare-up in Liberia confounded scientists as it was not initially clear where the new cases had come from.

According to him, such policy, which has been developed, will assist EVD survivors to live in good family and community life, reduce stigma and minimize the risk of the Ebola virus transmission.

The country was said to be clear of the virus on the 7th of November 2015.

On Wednesday, a report from a group of worldwide health experts convened in the wake of the crisis warned that infectious diseases represent a threat matched only by wars and natural disasters when it comes to endangering life and disrupting societies.