Nigeria declared Ebola-free by WHO
Nigeria has been declared officially free of Ebola after six weeks with no new cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
WHO representative Rui Gama Vaz, praised Nigeria for its “spectacular success story”.
Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg to discuss how to strengthen their response to the threat posed by Ebola. European countries have committed more than $600m, but the UK is pressing to double that amount.
Ahead of the talks, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier suggested the EU could send a civilian mission to West Africa that would serve as a platform for sending medical staff.
Another diplomat said there were plans for three countries to spearhead aid to the region – the UK for Sierra Leone, France for Guinea and the US for Liberia. Earlier, the Spanish government said a nurse who became the first person to contract Ebola outside West Africa had tested negative for the virus.
Ebola has killed more than 4,500 people in West Africa, mostly in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. An estimated 70% of those infected have died in those countries. The WHO officially declared Senegal Ebola-free on Friday.
Credit: BBC
