The World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to declare the African country free of Ebola
Image: Telegraph
A rampant disease that killed at least 2,500 people over the course of two years and affected thousands of others in Guinea alone, Ebola has finally been brought under control. The World Health Organization, after vigilant observation of the worst affected areas, has concluded that the country is out of threat from Ebola; the last Ebola patient, Baby Noubia was released from the hospital in November. While the WHO is yet to make the official announcement, the people of Guinea are preparing firework displays and concerts to celebrate the occasion.
The deadly epidemic had also ravaged through Sierra Leone and Liberia, affecting nearly 9,000 people in total. Sierra Leone was declared Ebola-free in November and the country has remained quarantined ever since. However, although Liberia was declared free before Sierra Leone in September, it has seen newer cases coming up. Ebola has also killed one person in the United States and six in Mali.
Ebola, a disease of lethal measures, has led to enormous social and economic losses, with at least 6,220 Guinean children being left partly or fully orphaned. Moreover, almost a hundred health workers from Guinea as well as around the world have lost their lives in efforts to cease the spread of Ebola. On the other hand, those cured of the disease are still fearful of future effects of the virus and social stigma.
The efforts against Ebola in Guinea were met with several obstacles, for, initially, Guineans refused to believe the spread of the epidemic. When they did start to believe, they named Western countries and Guinean authorities as the prime culprits for the disease. At the same time, the government blamed the savage disease for poor economic progress. In this light, President Alpha Conde doubled the Health Budget after returning to office for the second time in November, in a re-election.
Source: BBC
Tags: Ebola
