Ebola, Sierra Leone, World Health Organization

The World Health Organization says that Ebola in Sierra Leone may be leveling off, and this is good news because this country has had some of the fastest rising rates of the virus. Sierra Leone has been hardest hit by Ebola, but according to the World Health Organization the viral spread may be slowing. In the past week there have been 250 confirmed cases of the deadly virus but this number is lower than in weeks past and it is promising that the virus may be starting to peter out as medical professionals and individuals gain more knowledge about how to prevent the spread of Ebola. The death toll from Ebole in Sierre Leone has reached 8,235, and to put this number in perspective the global death toll from the latest viral outbreak has affected more than 20,500.

The Ebola weekly report from the World Health Organization looked at 9 countries where the virus has become epidemic. These countries included Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia, the 3 countries which were hit hardest and which had the highest number of cases out of the 9 countries studied. The figures cited in the report were provided by government authorities for each country. According to WHO “There are signs that case incidence may have leveled off in Sierra Leone, although with 248 new confirmed cases reported in the week to 4 January 2015, it remains by far the worst-affected country at present. An increasing emphasis will be put on the rapid deployment of smaller treatment facilities to ensure that capacity is matched with demand in each area.”