Support to children essential as West Africa declared Ebola-free: UNICEF

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday that nearly 23,000 West African children who have lost either one or both of their primary caregivers to Ebola will need continued care and support which goes beyond the initial emergency aid.

The statement comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the end of the most recent flare-up of Ebola virus disease in Liberia, saying all known chains of transmission have been stopped in West Africa.

The good news in Liberia, which will now enter a three month period of heightened surveillance, follows Guinea's declaration of its Ebola-free status in December and Sierra Leone's in November last year.

UNICEF highlighted the importance of providing children living in these three countries, many of whom have been taken in by immediate or extended family, with cash grants, school support, clothing and food.

"Ebola has been a terrifying experience for children," said UNICEF's Regional Director for West and Central Africa Manuel Fontaine in a statement.

"We owe it to them and to all the people of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to continue to support them as they recover from the devastating effects this disease has had on their lives," he added.

Figures reveal that as many 11,315 people, of which 3,508 were children, lost their lives to the deadly virus in the more than two years since the outbreak erupted.

Over 1,260 children who survived the disease are also facing medical and social challenges as they struggle to be accepted back into their communities. Endit