Vigils and celebrations have been held in Freetown to mark the end of Sierra Leone’s Ebola outbreak, which killed close to 4,000 people in the
ADVERTISEMENTVigils and celebrations have been held in Freetown to mark the end of Sierra Leone’s Ebola outbreak, which killed close to 4,000 people in the country.
Freetown celebrates and reflects as #Ebola comes to an end in #SierraLeonepic.twitter.com/Onob4gBROa
— Nick Owen (@nickoowen) November 6, 2015
Following 42 days with no new cases in Sierra Leone, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday declared the country’s Ebola epidemic officially over.
Today is a special day for #SierraLeone. We remember those who are no longer with us. #Ebola survivors need continued, substantial support.
— WHO (@WHO) November 7, 2015
Sierra Leone now enters a monitoring period.
Ernest Bai Koroma, President of Sierra Leone, said: “I fully endorse the WHO recommendations for enhanced surveillance to continue in Sierra Leone for the next 90 days.”
“The Ebola outbreak has ended in Sierra Leone but we must remain vigilant and we must remain alert.”
The Ebola epidemic killed more than 11,300 people across three West African countries – Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, where the outbreak was declared in March 2014.
Liberia was declared free of Ebola in September, while a handful of cases remain in Guinea.