Sierra Leone declares first Ebola-free district

THE GUARDIAN by Lisa O'Carroll                                 Jan, 10, 2015

A district in Sierra Leone has been declared Ebola-free, the first to be given the all-clear after 42 days with zero recorded cases of the virus.

Red Cross workers load a suspected Ebola case into an ambulance in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in September. Freetown still has a relatively large number of cases. Photograph: Michael Duff/AP

Pujehun, in the south-east of the country, was hit by Ebola in August and suffered 24 deaths from 31 cases – but it has not had a recorded case since 26 November. This means it has achieved the World Health Organisation’s benchmark for Ebola-free status.

District council chairman Sadiq Silla credited an early decision to close markets, and ban social activities and worship in churches and mosques. He put the emergency measures in place before Sierra Leone’s president took action, and suffered strong local opposition and death threats as a result.

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http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/10/sierra-leone-first-ebola-free-district-who