Guinea set to be declared free of Ebola by global health authorities on Tuesday after having no recorded infections over the last 42 days. It was the first country in West Africa to be struck with Ebola outbreak two years ago.
A period of 42 days which is twice the virus’ incubation period is required to declare a country Ebola free. A World Health Organization representative is expected to make the hugely anticipated announcement in Conakry, the Guinean capital, late morning on Tuesday.
“Patient Zero” an intant, Emile Ouamouno was the first victim of the outbreak in December 2013 in the country. More than 2500 people died from the disease in the West African nation.
The disease spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia, with sporadic cases also in Mali, Nigeria and Senegal reported. Around 11,300 people died out of almost 29,000 recorded cases, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) tally that many experts believe greatly understates the impact of the outbreak.
The outbreak is the deadliest since it was first recorded in 1976.
The last known case in Guinea is a three-month-old baby named Nubia, who was born with the disease but whose recovery was confirmed on November 16.
“It’s the best year-end present that God could give to Guinea, and the best news that Guineans could hope for,” said Alama Kambou Dore, an Ebola survivor
World Health Organization officially declared Sierra Leone Ebola free on November 7, triggering wild celebrations in the capital Freetown. On December 3, Liberia released its last two known Ebola cases from hospital, starting the six-week countdown.
Official ceremonies are set to start on Wednesday, where President Alpha Conde will be flanked by representatives from donor countries and dozens of organisations, from MSF to the Red Cross and the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), that were frontline responders in the crisis.
115 health workers who died fighting Ebola and eight members of an Ebola awareness team who were killed by hostile locals in Womey, in Guinea’s forested southeast will be given tribute during the ceremonies.
On Wednesday afternoon, a range of top African musicians, including Youssou N’Dour and Mory Kante, will take to the stage for a “memorial” concert — entitled “Bye-bye, au revoir Ebola” in the francophone country.
Source: AFP
