Four months after Ebola reappeared in Guinea, the WHO said the virus had been eradicated, with a death toll of 12.
On February 14, Guinean health authorities declared the country "in an epidemic situation". The confirmation of seven cases of Ebola virus infection, and the death of three patients, added to the health crisis linked to Covid-19. Enough to make West Africa fear the resurgence of the Ebola epidemic, when the latter had killed more than 11 years ago. An epidemic that had started in Guinea, between March 000 and December 2014, and which had spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. Borders between neighboring countries had been closed and air links suspended, while the governments of those countries had taken significant restrictions.
Four months ago, Guinea feared a new large-scale epidemic. The country officially declared the return of the Ebola epidemic. Sixteen weeks later, the finding is positive: according to the World Health Organization (WHO), Guinea defeated the Ebola virus with astonishing statistics: the speed with which the country got rid of the disease and the low cost in human lives is incredible. We deplore only 12 deaths, against more than 2 during the last wave.
Effective measures taken after 2016
The reappearance of the virus on February 14 is now just a bad memory. It has now been 42 days since no new case has been recorded, a deadline imposed by the WHO to declare the actual eradication of the virus. These 42 days represent double the incubation time for Ebola.
Guinea has learned well from the last wave of Ebola: after the 2016 epidemic, the Guinean government had indeed set up a National Health Security Agency (ANSS), responsible for the management of epidemics, emergencies and health disasters. . 38 epidemic treatment centers were then set up to deal with cases of diseases with epidemic potential. Laboratories have also been set up in Conakry, Guéckédou and Kindia.
But vigilance: Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, regional director for Africa at the WHO, called to stay on the lookout for the possible reappearance of the disease. Guinea could now use its effectiveness in the fight against Ebola to defeat Covid-19. For Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the WHO, more efficient social and public health systems, as well as greater equity in the distribution of care and vaccines could be the solution to overcome the coronavirus in Guinea, and more widely in Africa.