Liberian president hopes to defeat Ebola by Christmas

USA TODAY                                                       Nov. 20, 2014

by Greg Zoroya

MONROVIA, Liberia — Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf declared Wednesday that her nation is turning the tide against the deadly Ebola virus, and "we want to have zero cases by Christmas."

"It's a tall order. We're trying to work at that," Johnson Sirleaf said in an interview with USA TODAY. "We like to say that Ebola was running after us two months ago. Today, we are running after Ebola."

The World Health Organization released figures Wednesday showing that nearly 3,000 Liberians have died from Ebola since the virus first flared in a northern county last spring before exploding into the capital in June and July. The country has had more cases and deaths than any other.

As assistance from aid groups, the United Nations and the United States flooded into the country, the rate of infection and death declined dramatically in recent weeks... The number of daily Ebola infections in Liberia has declined from nearly 100 a day in September to about 25.

Johnson Sirleaf expressed regret at how the government initially handled the crisis — not educating communities earlier about Ebola to prevent superstitious fears that the plague was "witchcraft" or a government conspiracy. The result was a failure to identify and isolate Ebola patients, she said....

Read complete story
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/11/19/ebola-sirleaf-president-liberia-poster-child-disaster/19279519/