MONROVIA, November 14 (LINA) - An official of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said Liberia now stands the chance to record zero new case if Liberians maintain measures set by health authorities to fight the Ebola virus.
WHO Assistant Director-General for Polio and Emergencies, Dr.Bruce Aylward said there were still traces of the virus popping up in a number of areas and any change in attitude could be devastating on the population.
According to an Executive Mansion release, the WHO official made the comments during a courtesy call on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at her Foreign Ministry office on Thursday, November 13.
This caution by the Canadian physician and epidemiologist comes in the wake of reports of new Ebola cases springing up in Bong, Grand Cape Mount and Rivercess counties.
He also joined calls for Liberians not to begin relaxing the measures aimed at stopping the transmission of the Ebola virus that has ravaged Liberia and its neighbors Guinea and Sierra Leone.
On behalf of WHO Director General Margaret Chan, he thanked President Sirleaf for the leadership that has seen a drastic reduction in the number of new cases over the past three weeks, adding, “This knowledge of the virus and sticking to measures put in place has scored progress for Liberia.”
Responding, President Sirleaf said Liberians were still committed to the fight until the last virus is eradicated and equally expressed the fear that any change in behavior would be counterproductive to the Ebola fight.
The Liberian leader re-echoed her statement as contained in her nationwide address earlier on Thursday that Liberians intend to score a zero new case by Christmas as part of a national goal in the Ebola fight.
The Liberian President expressed the hope that the new cases being reported in Bong, Grand Cape Mount and Rivercess counties would be put under control as government and its partners were not taking it lightly.
LINA GDJ/PTK/JKW