Global health authorities are finally declaring Guinea free of Ebola after two years and more than 2,500 deaths.
World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim issued a statement congratulating the government and people of Guinea on reaching the milestone.
There will be a formal ceremony the mark the feat on Wednesday in Conakry, the country’s capital.
Susan Michaels-Strasser, a professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and a nurse who treated Ebola patients in Liberia said “It’s cause for celebration, because people are day to day living in very tough conditions.
“Everyone should be embarrassed that it got to such a level. The warning signs were there.”
Kim said “My colleagues and I at the World Bank Group congratulate the government and people of Guinea on reaching this important milestone. They have showed remarkable determination fighting Ebola since the first case emerged in rural Guinea two years ago.
“Still, we must remain vigilant to stay at zero cases, and continue to support Guinea as it contends with the enormous human and economic costs of Ebola.”