Ending Ebola before rainy season imperative

The new Head of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), Peter Jan Graaff, has affirmed his commitment to stopping the Ebola outbreak in West Africa but says the timeline for doing so is tight.

'We have made great progress in fighting the virus, but we are not done yet,' said Graaff in a press release issued to Xinhua in Accra on Friday.

'The rainy season is fast approaching, which will complicate efforts to contain the disease. We have a very small window of opportunity and that window is closing fast. We can't risk falling behind the virus again. We need to stay ahead of it, and eliminate it before it is too late,' he said.

According to the release, Liberia is currently counting down to May 9 when it will be declared free of the Ebola Virus Disease if no new cases present themselves.
'Until we reach zero cases in every country, Ebola still poses a threat to the region, and to the world. We must keep up our efforts over the next few weeks to trace and treat every last case, ' Graaff said.

As of April 24, a total of 26,101 confirmed, probable and suspected cases of Ebola had been reported in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with 10,824 deaths.
Source: SPA