Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent progress her Department has made on tackling ebola in West Africa; and if she will make a statement.

The UK’s main objective is to support the Government of Sierra Leone to reach and then maintain zero cases of Ebola as quickly as possible. Huge progress has been made, and it is clear our strategy is working. Case numbers have reduced from a peak of more than 500 in late November 2014, to eight cases in the week ending 21^st June 2015. We expect there to be a bumpy tail of cases before zero is reached and so we cannot become complacent. The UK response will continue to adapt as the epidemiology changes, and will remain flexible and responsive until Sierra Leone gets to zero. We are now proactively seeking out cases through enhanced active surveillance, strengthened social mobilisation, and scaling up of contact tracing - all critical in the final mile to reach zero.