There have been celebrations in Freetown and the President, Ernest Bai Koroma, has paid tribute to the 35000 workers in the fight against Ebola “whose heroism is without parallel in the history of our country”. He praised their bravery and said the country mourned their sacrifice, adding: “The disease challenged the very foundations of our humanity.” He called on the community to halt the stigmatisation of survivors and said the focus was now on improved hygiene, healthcare and economic recovery.
"Ebola has ended but we must be prepared for a re-emergence and we are retaining some laboratory testing capacities and treatment centres," the President has said, "But we are confident we now have a system in place to respond."
It is reported that there was a party atmosphere in Freetown, the first for many months, a celebration but tinged with sadness for the many lives lost. One survivor, who had lost 2 sons and 15 other relatives said, "Today brings sad memories but I take comfort that the disease has been defeated."
As a result of the virus there are now 12,000 orphans in the country, some of whom are in the New Era Schools that we support in Looking Town. There will be much work to be done to rebuild the economy, the local community and faith in the Health Service. Sierra Leone has been ranked as the world's poorest country for many of the last 15 years. I feel privileged to serve Alpha Kargbo and the New Era Evangelism and Development Programme as they seek to impact an area of Freetown with the love of Christ.
