African Countries Hit 'Important Milestone' in Ebola Fight

Three of the African countries hit hardest by Ebola are making progress in the fight against the deadly virus.

The World Health Organization is reporting that Liberia and Guinea have met a Dec. 1 target for isolating 70 percent of people infected with Ebola, and safely burying 70 percent of the dead.

WHO officials also say Sierra Leone probably met the targets in the west of the country and they expected levels nationwide to improve "in the coming weeks."

Dr. Bruce Aylward, WHO's Assistant Director General, said Monday there had been a "real slowdown in the speed of new cases."

Aylward also said the organization's plan to stop the deadly outbreak in West Africa has shown it was possible to reduce quickly the gap between the disease levels and capacity to respond.

He said although the disease was not beaten, efforts had reached "an important milestone along the way." WHO launched its Ebola plan two months ago.

U.N. officials are predicting that Ebola will continue to sicken people in West Africa and possible elsewhere until sometime next year.