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We’re thrilled that Sierra Leone has finally been declared free of Ebola. It has been 42 days since the last case of Ebola – a milestone set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggesting that the population is no longer contagious.However, we think it will be a long time before the country can really relax. There are still cases in neighbouring Guinea – a quick hop over the border. And, as we have seen with the Scottish nurse, health complications are still arising in those who have survived.
Although many in the capital of Freetown have been out celebrating, others are more subdued, reminding us of how many lives have been lost – nearly 4,000 in Sierra Leone alone. Mabinty Sesay, one of the Link Trustees in Newton has told us “Really this is not a moment of celebration, it’s a moment of praying and reflect our minds on the past.” Naturally there is still great fear that things could start up again and thousands of lives, families and livelihoods are needing to be rebuilt. |
Click here to read a statement from Ernest Bai Koroma, President of Sierra Leone