Liberia, the latest country to see the end of active transmission of Ebola, had been declared clear twice before, only for the infection to re-emerge later on.
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In its announcement that West Africa was clear of the outbreak, World Health Organization also warned that the area was susceptible to small flare-ups of the virus.
And that was the crux of the problem: not enough hospital beds, too many hospitals with no running water or electricity, too few laboratories to diagnose the disease, too few people to trace the contacts of the sick so they could stop the progression of the disease, too slow a response from the global community, and weak public health systems.
The country had suffered the world’s deadliest outbreak over the past two years, as survivors can carry the virus for many months and could pass it on.
She said, “We have made tremendous strides in defeating the largest, longest and most complex Ebola outbreak in history”.
They are celebrated as heroes by their government and the worldwide community, yet many face the harsh reality of stigmatisation rather than gratitude once back in their communities.
Liberia experienced two such outbreaks after it was declared Ebola-free in May.
Aside from the ravages of the disease, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are facing massive economic challenges due to their virtual paralysis during the peak of the epidemic.
Adding that “To date, 10 such flare-ups have been identified that were not part of the original outbreak, and are likely the result of the virus persisting in survivors even after recovery. But given the tenacity of the Ebola virus, there is a real risk of additional flare-ups”, he said.
“WHO commends Liberia’s government and people on their effective response to this recent re-emergence of Ebola”, says Dr Alex Gasasira, WHO Representative in Liberia.
Then after being declared free for the second time in September, another teenage boy tested positive of the Ebola on the way to a 90-day period. In the near term, the world must remain vigilant to stay at zero Ebola cases, especially with the threat of flare-ups of the disease, while helping the three hardest-hit countries recover and rebuild their economies and health systems.
“It’s now time to heed the lessons of this epidemic”.
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But despite the scale of the menace, the Commission on Creating a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future found that efforts to prepare for pandemics have been chronically underfunded.
