Sierra Leone officially began the 42-day countdown to the end of the Ebola epidemic with the symbolic discharge of the last patient who went down with the viral disease.
Adama Sankoh, 35, was discharged at a ceremony attended by President Ernest Bai Koroma who cautioned that while the nation seeks the end of the epidemic, those who lost their lives should remain in our prayers.
"It's a moment we should celebrate and we have to give thanks to Almighty God that we have reached this point," the President said, according to a statement by the State House Communication Unit.
At the ceremony that took at the Mateneh Ebola Treatment Center in northern Makeni District, Mrs Sankoh walked through a red carpet as family members and onlookers, among them the President, celebrated.
Sierra Leone recorded its first case in May 2014 and since then it has had 3586 fatalities among over 13, 000 cases.
The Mateneh Ebola Treatment Center is located on the outskirts of the city of Makeni. Constructed by the British Army with funding from the UK`s Department for International Development (DFID), it is run by the International Medical Corps (IMC).
“Before we get to 42 days, we must stay the course and remain vigilant,” said President Koroma, in a speech at the discharge-and-certification ceremony which was also attended by cabinet ministers and development workers.
The President noted that the last case came at exactly 456 days since the first case was recorded in May 2014.
This is also the last case resulting from the last cluster in the village of Massessebe when a Freetown-based businessman visited his family and fell ill. Over 500 people were subsequently quarantined. The man, 23-year-old Moussa, was Ms Sankoh`s son.
But officials at the National Ebola Response Center have warned that there is still the risk of the virus in the country. Of particular concern is the situation in neighboring Guinea, where the epidemic began in late 2013, and which is still seen as a high risk.
(C) Politico 25/08/15
