WHO declares Liberia Ebola free, for 3rd time

The World Health Organization (WHO) Thursday declared Liberia Ebola-free country for the third time since the disease ravaged the West African country.

The end to Ebola in Liberia also marked the entire West African region free of a plague that killed more than 11,000 people here, in Sierra Leone and Guinea.

WHO's Country Representative Alex Gasasira told a ceremony marking the declaration that the organization declares the most recent flare-up of Ebola in Liberia over and the country free of Ebola virus transmission in the human population.

"Today's announcement marks 42 days -- two 21-day incubation cycles of the virus -- after the last patient tested negative for the disease two times, the WHO official said.

"It is the first time since the start of the EVD (Ebola Virus Disease) epidemic in West Africa two years ago that the three hardest-hit countries-Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone-at zero cases for at least 42 days," Gasasira added.

The WHO official spoke in the Liberian capital following the elapse of period for declaration of Ebola-free country.

Liberia was first declared free of the hemorrhagic fever on May 9, 2015 only for a teenage boy to be tested positive of the virus in late June of that year.

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.

This followed increased vigilance and surveillance on Nov. 23, 2015.

The WHO diplomat underscored the importance for Liberia's healthcare system to be effectively prepared in order to be in position to respond to possible future flare-up.

"The rapid cessation of the flare-up is a concrete demonstration of Liberia's strengthened national capacity to manage Ebola outbreaks," Gasasira said.

Gasasira hoped no recurrence of the deadly disease will surface again.

"We very much hope it will be the last. But given the tenacity of the Ebola virus, there is a risk of additional flare-ups."

Since its outbreak in Liberia in March 2014, Liberia has suffered the most from the virus, killing nearly 5,000 people and slowing the growth rate of the Liberian economy.

Martha Sonpon, a female health care worker who survived the latest outbreak treating patients in two different health facilities, expressed gratitude to the international communities for promptly coming to the aid of Liberia during the outbreak.

"I am very happy that this episode has finally come to a positive conclusion. I hope there will be no recurrence," said Sonpon, recalling the devastating effect of the virus on people who came to her clinic.

Celestine King, an Ebola survivor at the Chinese managed Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) at the Samuel K. Doe Sports complex in Monrovia, also expressed gratitude to the Chinese for doing everything possible to save her life.

"I am thankful to China for the good work the medical staff did for me and the country in general. The medical staffs were so nice during my stay at the ETU," King told Xinhua by telephone.

"I played table tennis with them and got encouragement for the doctor and that was a defining moment during my rehabilitation" she added. Endit