The United Nations health agency yesterday declared the end of Ebola virus transmission in Guinea, where the epidemic began two years ago before spreading to neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone and, ultimately by land and air travel to seven other countries, killing over 11,300 people.
The declaration came after the last person In Guinea confirmed to have Ebola virus disease tested negative for the second time, and the country now enters 90 days of heightened surveillance to ensure that any new cases are identified quickly before they can spread to others.
Meanwhile, experts called for continued vigilance against any new outbreak stemming from the virus’s lingering in male semen even after the bloodstream has been cleared.
“This is the first time that all three countries – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – have stopped the original chains of transmission that were responsible for starting this devastating outbreak two years ago,” World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said in a news release, of the largest-ever epidemic of the deadly disease.
“I commend the governments, communities and partners for their determination in confronting this epidemic to get to this milestone. As we work towards building resilient health care systems, we need to stay vigilant to ensure that we rapidly stop any new flares that may come up in 2016.”
“The coming months will be absolutely critical,” WHO Special Representative for Ebola Response Bruce Aylward said. “This is the period when the countries need to be sure that they are fully prepared to prevent, detect and respond to any new cases.
Welcoming WHO’s declaration, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) cautioned that thousands of children orphaned by the disease as well as those who survived infection will need continued support, noting that it is almost two years to the day when a toddler became the first victim.
“While we mark this occasion, we must all remember that children were greatly impacted by Ebola. They were more likely to die if infected,” UNICEF Guinea Representative Mohamed Ag Ayoya said.
“Over 22,000 children lost one or both parents in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. They are traumatized and continue to be stigmatized in their neighbourhoods. For thousands of girls and boys, the outbreak does not end today. It will be with them throughout their lives. Let us commit to be with them too.”
World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim congratulated the Government and people of Guinea on reaching “this important milestone,” but called for continued vigilance to stay at zero cases. The Group has mobilized $1.62 billion for Ebola response and recovery efforts.
“The World Bank Group is committed to supporting Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone as they work to bring this deadly epidemic to an end, rebuild their economies and strengthen their health systems. We will do everything we can to help these countries and the world prevent another deadly pandemic.”
