AU medical team arrives in Liberia to battle Ebola

Ebola Prevention from the perspective of some women who wear the niqab. Cartoon by Khalil Bendib

Ebola is slowly dissipating in Liberia and in Sierra Leone and Guinea. However, Mali is currently being hit with a few new cases of Ebola for the past week rising fears of another 2nd Ebola outbreak in neighboring countries ie Senegal, Niger and elsewhere. No country is taking the outbreak in Mali lightly. In the midst of the Ebola cases in Mali, Burkina Faso is also keeping a lid on political instability following the coup of President Bloise Camporare. The virus spread to Burkina Faso would be double chaos for the landlocked country who has many issues on its plate at the moment.

Hundreds of doctors from across the world from Cuba, China, Uganda to other African Union countries and a few EU countries have came to Sierra Leone and Liberia's hospitals' aid to halt the deadly virus in its track. Mother Nature has also helped in the effort with the end of the rainy season and beginning of the dry season will allow emergency vehicles and personnel to reach patients in need of hospitals and clinics. The African Union's ECOWAS Medical division has sent a second team to Liberia. ECOWAS has been following Ebola and planning with deliberations and feet dragging over how to address the chaos and medical service disruption Ebola  has caused. Liberian and other world leaders are constantly reminding the world that Ebola and any global outbreak affects the whole world.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf ended the State of Emergency that had been affect for some three months across Liberia bringing relief to many Liberians who are nervously and cautiously waiting for Ebola's final demise in the country. Community awareness programs and education have played a role in reducing the spread and also calming ordinary people's fears in the cities and countryside. Monrovia has slowly beamed back to life as businesses are beginning to operate at their usual long hours. Schools from preschool to senior high school still remain closes until further notice. Taxi and Pem-Pem drivers are returning to their usual crowded routes across Monrovia and other cities. However, the government wants to remind many people that Ebola isn't entirely gone and the current happiness shouldn't be euphoric just yet. Survivors are still facing stigmatization by family and friends in all three countries and countries reporting new cases.

President Johnson declares end of State of Emergency