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WHO officially declares Sierra Leone Ebola-free WHO officially declares Sierra Leone Ebola-free
(about 2 hours later)
Sierra Leone has been declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organisation, prompting nationwide celebrations tinged with sadness over the loss of 4,000 victims to the disease. Sierra Leone has been declared free of Ebola by the World Health Organisation, prompting nationwide celebrations tinged with sadness over the 4,000 lives the virus claimed.
The capital Freetown was transformed into a giant carnival on Friday night as ecstatic crowds took to the streets in an emotional outpouring. Freetown was transformed into a giant carnival on Friday night as ecstatic crowds took to the streets of the capital in an outpouring of emotion.
Celebrations kick off in #SierraLeone marking end of #Ebola in a few hours. pic.twitter.com/uvcoVARzlXCelebrations kick off in #SierraLeone marking end of #Ebola in a few hours. pic.twitter.com/uvcoVARzlX
The relief that the 17-month nightmare was virtually over was reflected in candle-lit prayers and spontaneous parties. Relief that the 17-month outbreak was all but over was reflected in candle-lit prayers and spontaneous parties.
Thousands gather under the Cotton Tree in central Freetown to mark the end of Ebola - 42 days with no new cases. pic.twitter.com/MtcPlCrCdKThousands gather under the Cotton Tree in central Freetown to mark the end of Ebola - 42 days with no new cases. pic.twitter.com/MtcPlCrCdK
In a low-key ceremony in the capital on Saturday morning, the WHO country director, Anders Nordström, confirmed 42 days had passed without any new cases, thereby satisfying criteria that transmission of the virus has ended. In a moving ceremony in Freetown on Saturday morning, the WHO’s country director, Anders Nordström, confirmed that 42 days had passed without any new cases, thereby satisfying criteria that the virus was no longer being transmitted.
Sierra Leone will now enter a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to make sure the virus does not return. The National Ebola Response Centre will remain operational until the end of the year and swabbing of all dead bodies for Ebola will be mandatory until June 2016. A speech by Yusuf Kamara, a healthcare worker who lost 16 members of his family and survived the disease himself brought tears and a standing ovation.
Liberia was declared Ebola-free on 3 September but the region as a whole must wait until Guinea is 42 days clear before the epidemic is finally extinguished. “For us, Ebola is not over. We need your help to treat the many many health problems we still suffer from. And remember those who died at the hands of Ebola, and especially the children who have ben affected by this outbreak,” Kamara said.
“Since Sierra Leone recorded the first Ebola case in May 2014, a total number of 8,704 people were infected and 3,589 have died, 221 of them healthcare workers, all of whom we remember on this day” said Nordström. Sierra Leone’s president, Ernest Bai Koroma, has ended the state of emergency declared during the outbreak
But while the atmosphere overnight was jubilant, there was also nervousness over the continuing outbreak in neighbouring Guinea, where four new cases were recorded over the past fortnight. In a grim reminder of how Ebola cuts through families, all four are children of a mother who contracted the disease from a relative and died. , but the country will now enter a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to make sure the virus does not return. The National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) will continue to operate until the end of the year, and the swabbing of all dead bodies for Ebola will be mandatory until June 2016.
An overnight vigil was held in Freetown for the 3,955 who died, including 221 health workers. Eleven doctors died in the country, which had just 120 for 6 million people. Liberia was declared free of Ebola on 3 September, but the region as a whole must wait until Guinea is clear of new infections for 42 days before the epidemic can be declared over.
“Since Sierra Leone recorded the first Ebola case in May 2014, a total number of 8,704 people were infected and 3,589 have died, 221 of them healthcare workers, all of whom we remember on this day” Nordström said.
The atmosphere in Freetown overnight was jubilant, but there was also nervousness about the continuing outbreak in neighbouring Guinea, where four new cases have been recorded in the past fortnight. All four are children of a mother who contracted the disease from a relative and died.
Hundreds of people, mostly women, flood the streets of Freetown to pay tribute to health workers lost to #Ebola pic.twitter.com/yJuaApYBv9Hundreds of people, mostly women, flood the streets of Freetown to pay tribute to health workers lost to #Ebola pic.twitter.com/yJuaApYBv9
“There are mixed emotions,” said Marto Lado, the infectious diseases consultant at the Connaught hospital in Freetown. “Everyone is celebrating, but the truth is I’m surprised at the normality of everything.“There are mixed emotions,” said Marto Lado, the infectious diseases consultant at the Connaught hospital in Freetown. “Everyone is celebrating, but the truth is I’m surprised at the normality of everything.
“On Friday people came to work and were talking about it, but not in an excited way. It’s more of a relief, people thinking: ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe we have got here.’ It has taken so long for this weekend to arrive. There is still a lot of anxiety about what might happen. There is still Ebola in Guinea and we know it is not over yet.”“On Friday people came to work and were talking about it, but not in an excited way. It’s more of a relief, people thinking: ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe we have got here.’ It has taken so long for this weekend to arrive. There is still a lot of anxiety about what might happen. There is still Ebola in Guinea and we know it is not over yet.”
Ebola survivors and the bereaved, which include an estimated 12,000 orphans, were subdued. Many of the health workers who died were infected because of inadequate protective equipment and training. “They died so we could live,” Fatmata, a university student, said with tears in her eyes.
Dauda Fullah, 25, an Ebola survivor, who lost five members of his family, said there would be street carnivals all day in the city of Kenema. Ebola survivors and the bereaved, who include an estimated 12,000 orphans, were subdued. The country’s first confirmed Ebola survivor, Victoria Yillia, told the crowd she was “happy that this disease which almost killed me has finally ended”.
“We are happy that this day has come, but we are not rejoicing because we have felt the destruction to our lives,” he said. “The only thing I am doing is taking my family and saying a prayer for my parents and brothers and sisters who died.” She appealed to authorities not to forget survivors, many of whom have faced social stigma and persistent health problems.
Mohamed Kamara, 23, who lost three of his family and whose 19-year-old wife Aminata lost six of hers, said: “I feel really happy about today. I’m sad for the family that I lost, but I am happy for the end of Ebola. I pray that we don’t ever have this sickness in our country again.” Dauda Fullah, 25, an Ebola survivor, who lost five members of his family, said there would be street carnivals all day in the city of Kenema. “We are happy that this day has come, but we are not rejoicing because we have felt the destruction to our lives,” he said. “The only thing I am doing is taking my family and saying a prayer for my parents and brothers and sisters who died.”
Syerramia Willoughby, the daughter of the country’s most senior doctor to have been killed by Ebola, Victory Willoughby, said: “The sadness stays with you for a long time. It’s really good to see Ebola has retreated, but my concern is that we will have more cases because it is not yet eliminated in Guinea.” Mohamed Kamara, 23, who lost three members of his family and whose 19-year-old wife Aminata lost six of hers, said: “I feel really happy about today. I’m sad for the family that I lost, but I am happy for the end of Ebola. I pray that we don’t ever have this sickness in our country again.”
Syerramia Willoughby, the daughter Victory Willoughby, the country’s most senior doctor to have been killed by Ebola, said: “The sadness stays with you for a long time. It’s really good to see Ebola has retreated, but my concern is that we will have more cases because it is not yet eliminated in Guinea.”
Freetown celebrates and reflects as #Ebola comes to an end in #SierraLeone pic.twitter.com/Onob4gBROaFreetown celebrates and reflects as #Ebola comes to an end in #SierraLeone pic.twitter.com/Onob4gBROa
Saturday’s announcement marks the official end of a battle that was prematurely thought to have been nearing its conclusion on previous occasions.Saturday’s announcement marks the official end of a battle that was prematurely thought to have been nearing its conclusion on previous occasions.
Ebola spread to Sierra Leone in May 2014, when a young pregnant woman and an older housewife were diagnosed as the country’s first cases. Bothattended the funeral of a widely respected faith healer who had been attending to sick patients in a village a few hours’ walk from Gueckedou in Guinea, where the outbreak began. Ebola spread to Sierra Leone in May 2014, when a young pregnant woman and an older housewife were diagnosed as the country’s first cases. Bothattended the funeral of a widely respected faith healer who had been attending topatients in a village a few hours’ walk from Gueckedou in Guinea, where the outbreak began.
At the peak of the outbreak in 2014, Sierra Leone was reporting hundreds of new cases a week, with curfews and bans on market trading and public gatherings including football and cinema, and people queuing up at hospitals too full to cope and corpses on the streets. At the peak of the outbreak in 2014, Sierra Leone was reporting hundreds of new cases a week. Curfews were put in place and market trading and public gatherings including football matches and film showings at cinemas banned. People queued for treatment at hospitals too full to cope and corpses were left on the streets.
While the primary cost of the outbreak has been in human life, the crisis has also wiped out development gains in Sierra Leone, which was devastated by 11 years of civil war ending in 2002. .
The World Bank estimates that Sierra Leone will lose at least $1.4bn in forgone economic growth in 2015 as a result, leading to an “unprecedented” GDP contraction of more than 20%.
The World Health Organisation and international leaders were severely criticised for their delayed response and it is widely agreed that hundreds of lives could have been saved it the world reacted sooner.
In the end it was left to Médicins Sans Frontières, the army and volunteer doctors to create makeshift Ebola wards in the capital.
On Friday the WHO was further criticised after the Sierra Leone’s president, Ernest Bai Koroma, said that the organisation had delayed declaring a state of emergency in the country. Koroma said he had had “conflicts” with WHO advisers.