WHO: Sierra Leone is officially Ebola free

Thousands of people took to the streets of the capital, Freetown, at the stroke of midnight - marking 42 days without a single declared case of the disease. There were further cheers when the World Health Organisation (WHO) local representative made the official announcement. The outbreak which killed almost 4,000 people in Sierra Leone with more than 14, 000 cases lasted about 18 months. WHO made the announcement marking the fact that two Ebola virus incubation cycles have passed since the last person confirmed to have the disease had a second negative blood test.

Ebola deaths in Africa

Months have gone by since the outbreak peaked last year, when patients were dying by thousands. Nonetheless, Saturday marks a major milestone in the Ebola fight, though the challenge is making sure that the good news continues.
"We now have a unique opportunity to support Sierra Leone to build a strong and resilient public health system ready to detect and respond to the next outbreak of the disease or any other public health threat," said Dr. Anders Nordstrom, WHO's representative in Sierra Leone.