Sierra Leone is Ebola free but a legacy of fear remains

[Jefferson23]

The deadly virus crippled the country's healthcare system, with grave consequences for maternal and infant health.


Seventeen-year-old Musu Monsoray gave birth to a stillborn child during the Ebola outbreak [Jo Lehmann/WaterAid]

Jo Lehmann | 09 Nov 2015 | Health, Environment, Poverty & Development, Humanitarian crises, Africa

Twenty-nine-year-old Song strolls through the streets of Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, as loud music blares out from the stalls of street vendors.

"The war is over," he says. "We've been liberated."

After 42 days with no new cases, the World Health Organization on Saturday officially declared Sierra Leone free from Ebola.

"This time last year we were putting thousands of people in body bags, people were scared, unable to go out. Today we are free," he explains.

I'm in Freetown this week with WaterAid , which has been working in hygiene promotion and assisting on crucial water and sanitation projects in Liberia and Sierra Leone as these countries try to rebuild their health systems after the Ebola crisis.

Ebola's Ground Zero
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/11/sierra-leone-ebola-free-legacy-fear-remains-151109075827170.html