Nearly two years later, Sierra Leone declared Ebola-free

November 07, 2015 20:46

After 1 years and more than 14,000 cases, Sierra Leone is finally free of Ebola.

The World Health Organization made the announcement Friday, marking the fact that two Ebola virus incubation cycles have passed since the last person confirmed to have the disease had a second negative blood test.

Months have gone by since the outbreak peaked last year, when patients were dying by thousands. Nonetheless, Saturday marks a major milestone in the Ebola fight, though the challenge is making sure that the good news continues.

"We now have a unique opportunity to support Sierra Leone to build a strong and resilient public health system ready to detect and respond to the next outbreak of the disease or any other public health threat," said Dr. Anders Nordstrom, WHO's representative in Sierra Leone.

According to Nordstrom's organization, Sierra Leone had about half of the 28,000 documented Ebola cases tied to the recent outbreak. Some 4,000 people in the West African nation died as a result, tearing apart many families.

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