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WHO: New Ebola cases down

January 14, 2015

The World Health Organization says the three African nations hardest hit by the Ebola virus have recorded their lowest weekly number of new cases in recent months.

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The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that Sierra Leone and Guinea had seen a slump in their weekly totals of confirmed Ebola cases since August last year, according to its latest situation report.

The other hard-hit West African state, Liberia, also recorded a two-day period with no new cases last week, and had its lowest weekly total since June, the UN health agency said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon previously said the epidemic could be over by mid-2015.

In response, the WHO declined to set a specific timeline.

"WHO hopes Ebola ends as soon as possible in all three affected countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea," said WHO spokeswoman Winnie Romeril. "WHO is not predicting how soon Ebola will end as it would take every community to use the facilities and resources available to them."

She also said getting the epidemic down to zero cases would take time and effort including the immediate treatment of patients, and dignified, safe burials.

Ebola has killed more than 8,000 people, mainly in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

lw/gb (Reuters, AFP)