Advertisement

Updated June 20th, 2021 at 06:39 IST

WHO declares an end to second Ebola outbreak in Guinea that claimed 12 lives

Guinea has declared an end to an Ebola outbreak that emerged in February. The disease resurfaced in the country since the deadly outbreak that ended in 2016.

Reported by: Apoorva Kaul
WHO
IMAGE: AP/WHO/Twitter | Image:self
Advertisement

Guinea has declared an end to an Ebola outbreak that emerged in February. A total of 16 confirmed cases and seven probable infections were reported in Guinea’s latest outbreak in which 11 patients survived and 12 people lost their lives, according to World Health Organization. The disease resurfaced in the country since the deadly outbreak that ended in 2016.

End of Ebola outbreak in Guinea

The Ebola outbreak in Guinea from 2014 to 2016 killed more than 11,300 people in West Africa. Guinea’s latest outbreak was declared on February 14 after three cases were detected in Gouecke, a rural community in the southern N’zerekore prefecture. Health authorities with support from WHO were able to move swiftly to tackle the outbreak, due to the lessons learned during the outbreak in Guinea and Congo. The WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement said that the expertise gained during the last outbreak helped to control the outbreak in Guinea. Ghebreyesus appreciated the efforts of health workers, the government and the people of Guinea who worked to control the Ebola outbreak. 

"Based on the lessons learned from the 2014–16 outbreak and through rapid, coordinated response efforts, community engagement, effective public health measures and the equitable use of vaccines, Guinea managed to control the outbreak and prevent its spread beyond its borders," said the WHO chief in a statement.

WHO helped to ship around 24,000 Ebola vaccine doses and supported the vaccination of nearly 11, 000 people at high risk, including more than 2800 frontline health workers. WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti said that lessons learned from the past outbreak helped in containing the outbreak in just four months in Guinea. Moeti warned that they must remain alert for a "possible resurgence".

"Although this Ebola outbreak flared up in the same area as the West Africa one which killed 11 000 people, thanks to new innovations and lessons learned, Guinea managed to contain the virus in four months," said Dr Matshidiso Moeti in a statement.

"We are getting faster, better and smarter at fighting Ebola. But while this outbreak is over, we must stay alert for a possible resurgence and ensure the expertise in Ebola expands to other health threats such as COVID-19," Moeti added. 

IMAGE: AP/WHO/Twitter

Advertisement

Published June 20th, 2021 at 06:39 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

UP: Man Burned Alive By In-Laws in Mathura, Probe On
a minute ago
Diljit Dosanjh
5 minutes ago
mallikarjun kharge, lalu yadav
10 minutes ago
UN
11 minutes ago
ED Attack case: Shajahan Sheikh Sent to Judicial Remand Till April 9
13 minutes ago
Ravichandran Ashwin
18 minutes ago
Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar
21 minutes ago
National Mall, Washington DC
23 minutes ago
Wall Street news
24 minutes ago
Swiggy
30 minutes ago
Chandrakant Pandit and Gautam Gambhir
32 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo