With the country of Liberia – the last of the African regions to be still affected be the Ebola virus expecting the all-clear, the two-year Ebola epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people in west Africa is due to be declared officially over on Thursday.
Since it emerged in southern Guinea in December 2013, the worst outbreak of the deadly tropical pathogen in history devastated health services and wrecked the economies of the hardest-hit nations.
With bodies piling up in the streets and overwhelmed hospitals recording hundreds of new cases a week, at its height the virus cut a swath through the capital cities of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Thursday’s announcement in Geneva will “mark 42 days since the last Ebola cases in Liberia were tested negative”, the World health Organizaiton said. The announcement had previously been scheduled for Friday, with no reason given for the change.
“We will remain careful and keep calling on the population to take the necessary measures in preventing re-occurrence,” said Francis Karteh, Liberia’s chief medical officer, a major figure in the battle against the epidemic.
Since it emerged in southern Guinea in December 2013, the worst outbreak of the deadly tropical pathogen in history devastated health services and wrecked the economies of the hardest-hit nations.
With bodies piling up in the streets and overwhelmed hospitals recording hundreds of new cases a week, at its height the virus cut a swath through the capital cities of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Thursday’s announcement in Geneva will “mark 42 days since the last Ebola cases in Liberia were tested negative”, the World health Organizaiton said. The announcement had previously been scheduled for Friday, with no reason given for the change.
“We will remain careful and keep calling on the population to take the necessary measures in preventing re-occurrence,” said Francis Karteh, Liberia’s chief medical officer, a major figure in the battle against the epidemic.