West African Liberia Free From Ebola Virus Epidemic Says WHO

Liberia, one of Africa's worst-hit countries for the outbreak has been officially declared Ebola-free, according to the announcement by World Health Organization last Saturday.

In the statement released by WHO, the last victim who died from the disease was buried last March 2015 and it has been 42 days since then. Liberia held the highest numbers of death by the Ebola infection and was considered to be the longest and most complex outbreak to date.

During the peak of the outbreak in August and September 2014, the country had 300 to 400 cases every week. During the outbreak, the statement from the UN agency noted that treatment centers were overflowing with patients and that at one point no beds were available for some patients. Some corpses were not collected until days later while the whole country was gripped in fear and uncertainty.

Fortunately, the Liberian government and its people made it through. In the 375 health workers that were infected, 189 perished in the line of duty. Liberia's courage and determination paired with International assistance persisted and all efforts paid off to what is today.

"The communities were the heroes in this fight," Hassan Newland, one of the health workers who worked with UNICEF in Monrovia during that time. "They took on Ebola and decided enough is enough."

 "They were locating the sicknesses themselves," he told NPR. "They were reporting the cases themselves. So when they decided to get involved we started to defeat Ebola."

A tweet made by MICAT Liberia, Liberia's Information Ministry said, "We are out of the woods," it said last Saturday. "We are Ebola free. Thanks to our partners for standing with is in the fight against Ebola. We are Liberians."

Ebola is considered to be one of the world's deadliest viruses and during its devastation in West Africa; it has claimed more than 4,700 lives.

"This Ebola outbreak is a scar on the conscience of the world. For some the pain and grief will take a generation to heal," said Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Liberian President via Yahoo News.  "Therefore, let today's announcement be a call to arms that we will build a better world for those Ebola could not reach ... It is the least the memories of our dearly departed deserve."

The New York Times report that while Liberia has been declared free from the disease, Ms. Johnson Sirleaf cautions to "stay mindful and vigilant."

Tolbert Nyenswah, the Liberian assistant minister of health responsible for the country's Ebola epidemic said that they will be continuing doing the measures that subjugated the virus, such as observing borders for travelers who might be sick, testing dead bodies for the virus, and handling burials with protective gear.