Sierra Leone declared Ebola-free by the WHO

The World Health Organisation has declared Sierra Leone free from the deadly Ebola virus as no new cases have been reported in the past 42 days.

A house in Makamie in Sierra Leone to be decontaminated. Image by DFID / CC BY 2.0

Crowds poured into Freetown’s streets to celebrate the declaration, though events were tinged with sadness over the 4000 lives that were lost to the virus in the country. There was also a huge sense of relief, given the 17-month hold Ebola had on Sierra Leone. Yusuf Kamara, a healthcare worker who lost 16 family members and survived the virus himself, gave a speech at a ceremony in the capital and brought the audience to tears before receiving a standing ovation. Read more: theguardian.com