Ebola: Senegal reopens border with Guinea

Senegal has reopened its land border with Guinea, one of the worst hit countries affected by the the deadly Ebola virus disease (EVD).

Despite being certified free of the virus, Senegal prevented its West African neighbour from having access into its territory through the borders.

Reuters quoted a statement of the country’s interior ministry, as saying the improvement noticed on the part of Guinea led to the decision.

The borders were closed for five months.

“The decision to open the border follows meetings between Senegalese and Guinean authorities, in the course of which the important efforts made by the sister republic of Guinea to fight the Ebola virus were noted,” the statement read.

In November 2014, Senegal lifted the ban placed on air and maritime traffic with Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – the most affected countries – but land borders remained closed.

In recent weeks, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the outbreak in West Africa appears to be reducing based on the decline in the rate of new infections.

According to statistics from WHO, there were 20 new cases of Ebola in Guinea over the past week, as against 45 two weeks ago.

The only Ebola case in Senegal was that of a student who contracted the virus while in Guinea but was hospitalised and treated till he recovered.

On October 17, 2014, WHO declared Senegal as the first West African country to contain the virus.

In the past year, 21,724 Ebola cases were reported in nine countries and 8,641 people died, mostly from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.