The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Guinea Ebola free, thereby ending two-year long plague in West Africa. This is the first time in two years- when original chain of transmission that began in Gueckedou, Guinea in December 2013 and spread to seven other countries- that all three Ebola affected countries in West Africa (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) are Ebola free. The WHO said that 42 days have passed since the last person confirmed to have Ebola virus disease tested negative for the second time.

The end of Ebola transmission in Guinea marks an important milestone in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. In addition to the original chain of transmission, there have been 10 new small Ebola outbreaks (or ‘flares’) between March and November 2015. These appear to have been due to the re-emergence of a persistent virus from the survivor population.

Ebola has made a comeback in Liberia after the country twice declared the end of the epidemic, and there is every possibility it could return to Guinea. It will be up to communities to keep the killer virus at bay, by reporting suspicious deaths and encouraging loved ones to seek treatment if they show symptoms of Ebola.

More than 100 health workers also lost their lives in the fight against the disease. Many survivors still live in fear of the stigma and long-term side effects associated with the virus.