In the News this week on Ebola

Today, Saturday 9th May 2015, Liberia was declared Ebola free by the WHO after observing the 42 day protocol of no reported new cases.

This is a welcome news after over one year of the battle to overcome the virus.

This announcement was met with mixed feelings across the country.
The people are glad that finally their beloved country is free of the deadly virus, however the damage done by the deadly virus has left wounds that may take a while to heal.

Liberia recorded more than 4500 Ebola related deaths and was tagged "the nation with the highest number of Ebola related deaths."
More than 3000 children lost one or both parents to the virus.
A total of about 11000 people were lost to the virus in the three affected West African nations.

The devastating effect of this colossal loss is being felt by almost everyone in the region.
Breadwinners, care givers, providers and parents have been lost to the virus. A good number of children, adolescents and youths were also lost.

This Nation as well as the rest of the world is beginning to heal, as the world learns her lessons from the slow response to the epidemic which has cost us so much loss.

Is the worst over one would ask or wonder?

For Liberia as a nation, perhaps one could say " yes in a way."

However, let us not forget that the two surrounding nations : Sierra leone and Guinea are still recording weekly new cases, although the numbers have been reducing albeit slowly.
The two nations recorded 9 new cases each in the past week. Sadly 5 of the new cases in Guinea were only detected after the death of the victims. While only 2 of the 9 new cases in Sierra leone could be traced to previous Ebola patients.
The implication of this is that no one is sure of where the virus is still hiding and from where it may spring out from the next time. Contacts of some of these new cases are still moving about freely and may infect other people if not tracked down on time.

Hence, authorities still urge Liberia to remain vigilant for suspected cases, and diligently report any suspicious case. This way, this victory can be sustained.

It is our hope that this victory for Liberia, will in no time become a unanimous victory for the rest of West Africa.