WHO: Fight against Ebola has reached a 'turning point'

(Image credit: Handout/Getty Images)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the global fight against Ebola has reached a "turning point." The three West African countries hit hardest by Ebola, Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, have seen a drop in the number of reported cases.

Liberia saw just eight new cases of Ebola last week. When Ebola was at its peak, doctors reported as many as 509 cases a week. Liberia has seen nearly 9,000 cases since the outbreak started in 2013. Numbers are similarly descending in Guinea and Sierra Leone.

The WHO said the statistics are the "most promising" since the outbreak began, but the organization stressed that caution and vigilance are vital to eradicating the disease and preventing reinfection. The Ebola outbreak has infected 21,724 people and has killed 8,641.

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