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Ebola Rapidly Advancing In Rural Sierra Leone, Report Warns

By Kamal Nayan | Update Date: Nov 03, 2014 01:18 PM EST

Ebola is spreading up to nine times faster in parts of Sierra Leone than two months ago, according to a new report. 

"Whilst new cases appear to have slowed in Liberia, Ebola is continuing to spread frighteningly quickly in parts of Sierra Leone," said the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) report.

On average, 12 new cases a day were seen in the rural areas surrounding Freetown in late October, compared with 1.3 cases in early September, the report said, a nine fold increase.

Transmission is also on rise in the capital Freetown, with the average number of daily cases six times higher than two months ago. 

The report's analysis is based on the three-day averages of new cases recorded by Sierra Leone's health ministry. 

"The Government of Sierra Leone is making real strides in tackling transmission by speeding up access to treatment and safe and dignified burial," AGI chief executive Nick Thompson said, in the press release.

"But we can't rest until Ebola has nowhere to hide. And we can see from growth in new cases in some rural parts of Sierra Leone that we still have no time to lose if we're going to get on top of this."

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