Ebola: Sierra Leone Now Worst Affected Country

Sierra Leone has "outstripped" Liberia as the worst-affected country by Ebola, according to the head of the World Health Organization. The two West African nations along with Guinea account for the majority of infections. Margaret Chan, the WHO Director-General, says several hundred cases are being reported in Sierra Leone each week. The agency's latest data says 248 new cases were confirmed in the country in the first week of January. Previous reports show that the case incidence in Sierra Leone had levelled off. Meanwhile, Liberia has seen a decline in new cases in 12 of its 15 districts apart from Montserrado which accounts for the most cases in the country. And for the first time in a year since the outbreak hit, Guinea has recorded a record 160 confirmed cases. A high-level meeting on Ebola vaccines access and financing is being held in Geneva, Switzerland. The virus has claimed the lives of over 8,000 people in the region, mainly in the three countries.