Sierra Leone celebrates one year of being Ebola-free

By Caribbean Medical News Staff
Sierra Leone has much to rejoice about at this time. The reason is, for the first time in more than a year, there are no people being treated for the Ebola virus and no confirmed cases of Ebola in the country.
Adama Sankoh, who is a palm oil trader, was released from the Makheni Ebola treatment unit. She received a warm reception from the health-care workers, as they sang, danced and clapped with thanksgiving for the monumental occasion. The ceremonial event was held to mark the final Ebola case and Sierra Leone’s President, Ernest Bai Koroma, defined Sankoh’s discharge as “the beginning of the end of Ebola.”
In the words of his native tongue, President Koroma told Madame Sankoh: “‘Ebola nor don yaet” (Ebola is not yet finished), as he handed her a certificate confirming that she was now free of the Ebola virus. He implored her to remind her friends and family to call the Ebola hotline immediately if anyone in their community develops symptoms of Ebola or passes away at home.
Madame Sankoh told the assembly of health-care workers, Ebola survivors, leaders of national and district Ebola response teams and representatives of the agencies working to fight the disease that she had learned about the disease the hard way. She placed emphasis on knowing the safety burial and thorough hand washing procedures and their importance as it relates to the prevention of further contamination of the virus.
While the mood was celebratory, President Koroma reminded the gathering that Ebola transmission would not be considered ended in Sierra Leone “until the WHO declares we have gone 42 days with no case.”
The President said that even after an Ebola-free declaration, Ebola could not be considered over until every country in the ‘sub-region’ made up of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone had gone 42 days with no case after the last confirmed case had been discharged from treatment or, if they had died, safely buried.