CRI听力:Liberia Wins in Battle against Ebola

"Ebola it's time for you to go back, you have shown yourself enough, I think it's alright, right? Bad sickness like you, you brought more fear. We giving your back kicked now, we not scared. "

To Liberian artist Henry Toe, who survived the Ebola epidemic, the news that his country has now been declared Ebola-free has given him a new lease of life.

Forty-two days with no new Ebola cases represents twice the maximum incubation period of the virus.

But the U.N. warns it could take months to fully eradicate Ebola in Liberia.

According to the World Health Organization over 11,000 people have died from Ebola in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone since the outbreak began in December 2013.

Nearly half of those deaths have been in Liberia. The country's poor public health system quickly broke down, unable to cope with as many as 400 new cases each week at the peak of the epidemic last September.

Liberia's Deputy Health Minister, Francis Kateh, says the country is still reeling from the shock of mass cremations.

"At the time it was very bad because there were people dying and we didn't have enough ETU's (Emergency treatment units). A few nurses and doctors died. We were burning 70-80 persons a day, but with the abundance of bodies in the streets the President had to make a decision and give an order that we do cremations, which was a shock to the entire country. That was the worst situation. That was the worst nightmare for me."

Neighboring Sierra Leone and Guinea are still reporting cases of the infectious disease. Kateh says when the crisis hit West Africa, China was the first to send aid to Liberia.

"When the Ebola happened, the first international supply we got came from China. The Chinese medical team had an ETU that was very strong. I think China has played a major role. They have been a good friend to Liberia."

The last case of Ebola in Liberia was reported on March 27. But UN Chief Ebola crisis manager Dr Peter Graaff says this should not lead to complacency.

"We're proud of what we collectively managed to do but we need to remain vigilant. The virus is not yet out of the region. However, it is going to be an important moment for Liberia in terms of getting back to a normal path towards development."

There is also risk the disease will return, as new research suggests that traces of the virus can lay dormant in the bodies of survivors for months, even after they have recovered.

For example, a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that studied the case of an American doctor who contracted Ebola while he was working in West Africa has found that the virus continued to live in his retina 10 weeks after it had cleared from his blood.

Therefore, Liberian authorities have pledged to maintain heightened surveillance for at least another year.

In the Monrovia, the capital, songs about Ebola, like that sung by wrapper Henry Toe will continue to top the charts as people struggle to rebuild their lives.

"Waaooo…waaooo…that's the sound we used to hear. You look left and right, dead bodies everywhere. Wake up Liberia, it's time to give a back-kick to Ebola."

For CRI I'm Poornima Weeraskara.