After about a year of fighting Ebola, Liberia has released its last patient from the outbreak Thursday, starting the country's countdown to being officially declared Ebola-free.
Beatrice Yardolo walked out of an Ebola treatment center in Monrovia's Paynesville district wearing yellow shirt as bright as her smile. She thanked health workers and God as she left, ready to go back to her family and resume teaching English in a church-run school. Yardolo said she was the happiest person the day she was released because dealing with Ebola and surviving the horrible situation was not easy.
With Yardolo's release, the community in St. Paul's Bridge where she lives and works has been declared the last of the hotspots for cases of Ebola in Monrovia. Since the outbreak began, over 4,100 lives have been claimed in Liberia.
Tolbert Nyenswah, head of Liberia's Ebola response and the country's assistant health minister, said that there aren't any other cases of the disease confirmed in the country so the 42-day countdown can now begin, as mandated by standards and protocols set by the World Health Organization. Still, Liberia has to wait for its neighbors to be also declared Ebola-free to truly feel safe.
"There was a lot of excitement because we feel that this is a victory. But it's not over yet," he said.
To make sure no new cases crop up during the countdown, Nyenswah urged all in Liberia to adhere to anti-Ebola regulations. Community commitment is necessary if the country is going to stay Ebola-free, after all.
"People move easily over the porous borders that separate Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, so until 42 days pass without a new case in any of the three worst affected countries we need to remain vigilant," reminded Vickie Hawkins, Doctors Without Borders UK director.
She did, however, emphasize that Liberia's release of its last Ebola patient is encouraging.
Alongside Guinea and Sierra Leone, Liberia was one of the hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak in West Africa which has led to the death of over 9,800 people. The WHO reported 132 new cases Wednesday confirmed last week, a jump from the 99 cases recorded from previous week. According to the agency, Ebola is still widespread in Sierra Leone, with the number of confirmed cases jumping in the country as well as Guinea.
Photo: CDC Global | Flickr
