This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35191676

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Guinea to be declared free of Ebola virus WHO declares Guinea free of Ebola
(34 minutes later)
Guinea is to be declared free of Ebola by the World Health Organization (WHO), two years after the epidemic began there. Guinea has been declared free of Ebola by the World Health Organization (WHO), two years after the epidemic began there.
Guineans are expected to celebrate the landmark with concerts and fireworks.Guineans are expected to celebrate the landmark with concerts and fireworks.
The disease killed more than 2,500 people in the country and a further 9,000 in Sierra Leone and Liberia.The disease killed more than 2,500 people in the country and a further 9,000 in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Sierra Leone was declared free of Ebola in November, but new cases have emerged in Liberia, which had been declared Ebola-free in September.Sierra Leone was declared free of Ebola in November, but new cases have emerged in Liberia, which had been declared Ebola-free in September.
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.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.
"It's the best year-end present that God could give to Guinea, and the best news that Guineans could hope for," said Ebola survivor Alama Kambou Dore, quoted by AFP news agency. "It's the best year-end present that God could give to Guinea, and the best news that Guineans could hope for," Ebola survivor Alama Kambou Dore told AFP news agency.
Local health workers echoed a warning from medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres that vigilance was still vital despite the mood of celebration.Local health workers echoed a warning from medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres that vigilance was still vital despite the mood of celebration.
"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 worker and Ebola survivor."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 worker and Ebola survivor.
The disease has had an enormous social and economic impact on Guinea, the BBC's Ibrahima Diane in Conakry says.
According to the UN, 6,220 Guinean children have lost one or both parents to Ebola.According to the UN, 6,220 Guinean children have lost one or both parents to Ebola.
Analysis: Tulip Mazumder, Health correspondent, BBC News
This is another major milestone in the bumpy road to the end of the worst Ebola outbreak in history. It all started in Guinea when the virus emerged, probably from fruit bats, in a rural community deep in the forest.
Guinea saw far fewer cases than neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone, yet the virus has been circulating there for longer than anywhere else.
I remember travelling through Guinea at the height of the outbreak, and there was still a lot of denial about Ebola; people told me it was a made-up disease. Suspicion is still rife in some communities, and many simply do not trust their government.
Ebola has made a comeback in Liberia after the country twice declared the end of the epidemic, and there is every possibility it could return to Guinea. It will be up to communities to keep the killer virus at bay, by reporting suspicious deaths and encouraging loved ones to seek treatment if they show symptoms of Ebola.
But medical facilities also need to respond quickly, which will happen for the extra 90-day "heightened surveillance" period. A key question is what will happen after that, particularly for the thousands of Ebola survivors who are still facing health problems.
More than 100 health workers also lost their lives in the fight against the disease.More than 100 health workers also lost their lives in the fight against the disease.
Meanwhile, survivors are still living in fear of the stigma and long-term side effects associated with the virus, our correspondent adds. Many survivors still live in fear of the stigma and long-term side effects associated with the virus.
The fight against Ebola was particularly difficult in Guinea, he says. The government in Guinea has blamed the virus for poor economic performance and says it has also caused people to distrust the country's health services.
Some communities initially did not believe there was an epidemic, while others blamed it on Western countries and the Guinean authorities. President Alpha Conde has doubled the health budget since winning re-election in October.
The government has blamed the virus for poor economic performance and says it has also caused people to distrust the country's health services.
President Alpha Conde has doubled the health budget since winning re-election in November.