Ebola: why the fight against the disease is far from over
As Liberia releases its last Ebola patient, the virus continues to spread in other West African nations

The last Ebola patient in Liberia has been discharged from hospital, after the country went over a week without declaring any new cases of the disease.
Beatrice Yardolo, who lost three children to the disease, has tested negative for Ebola after receiving two weeks of treatment in the capital Monrovia. Yardolo told reporters she was "one of the happiest persons on earth" as she left the treatment centre to return home.
"There was a lot of excitement because we feel that this is a victory," Tolbert Nyenswah, Liberia's deputy health minister told the New York Times. "But it's not over yet," he admitted.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The deadliest Ebola outbreak in history has claimed almost 10,000 lives, the overwhelming majority in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Liberia has been worst affected by the outbreak, where 4,117 people are known to have died from the disease.
Officials have warned that the country is still at least weeks away from being declared Ebola-free. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts further outbreaks in the country are likely, as the disease continues to be extremely mobile.
"We look at the three countries as really a single country, so while it's good news that Liberia itself has no new cases, the populations are so mobile in that region that there could easily be re-importations of cases," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told the BBC.
"We have to get down to zero in all three countries before we can consider this thing beaten," he said.
In neighbouring Sierra Leone and Guinea, the picture is much bleaker. The number of new cases recently increased sharply in both countries, according to the latest weekly figures from the WHO.
The latest numbers "suggest that the need for early isolation and treatment is not yet understood, accepted or acted upon," said the health organisation.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical