New Ebola Cases Reaching Record Low

30 January 2015 – The number of new Ebola cases recorded in West Africa fell below 100 for the first time in seven months, according to the latest number of the World Health Organization (WHO). The response to the Ebola epidemic has now moved to a second phase, "as the focus shifts from slowing transmission to ending the epidemic."

"To achieve this goal as quickly as possible, efforts have moved from rapidly building infrastructure to ensuring that capacity for case finding, case management, safe burials, and community engagement is used as effectively as possible", WHO said in its latest update containing data up to 25 January 2015.

The WHO announcement came as the United Nations focused on recovery aspects of the Ebola epidemic that affected Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone the most.

"A combined total of 99 confirmed cases were reported from the 3 countries in the week to 25 January: 30 in Guinea, 4 in Liberia, and 65 in Sierra Leone", according to the WHO update.

"Case incidence continues to fall in Liberia and Sierra Leone", it said, but underlined that "Guinea reported 30 confirmed cases in the week to 25 January, up from 20 confirmed cases in the previous week."

The number of total cases was reported at more than 22,000 with some 8,800 deaths.

Source: UN News

Read more on Ebola in the UNRIC Library Backgrounder on Ebola.

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