Ebola Crisis: WHO Declares Nigeria Free of Virus

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday, declared Nigeria free of Ebola virus after six weeks of no new cases of the disease in the country.

It is a "spectacular success story" said Rui Gama Vaz, a representative of WHO during a conference held in Abuja, Nigeria.

This is a proof to the world that the Ebola virus can be contained if appropriate swift measures are taken.

Sadly other West African countries have not acted swiftly like Nigeria has done to control the spread of the disease.

According to BBC Africa, the outbreak has killed more than 4,500 people in West Africa, mostly in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. An estimated 70% of those infected have died in those countries.

Senegal is another African country that has taken drastic measures to mitigate the spread of the virus. On Friday, the WHO officially declared Senegal Ebola-free.

Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg to discuss how to strengthen their response to the threat posed by Ebola.

Speaking on the sidelines, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he expected the meeting to appoint a co-ordinator to galvanise the EU's response to the epidemic.

"My colleagues are unanimous in saying that this idea of a European co-ordinator for the fight against Ebola is a good idea. The name will be chosen in the coming days. I think it's a very important step."

European countries have committed more than 500m euros (£400m; $600m) but the UK is pressing to double that amount.

The money will be used to strengthen the healthcare systems in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea and to allevaite the harm Ebola causing in their economies.

Also the Spanish government reported that a nurse who became the first person to contract Ebola outside West Africa had tested negative for the virus.

The attached Wall Street Journal video sheds light on the progress Nigeria has made so far in controling the spread of the disease.