Ebola on the run in West Africa?

Two of three West African countries have met the Dec. 1 deadline set by the United Nations for reducing the spread of Ebola, officials announced Monday.

Health workers have successfully isolated 70 percent of cases and safely buried 70 percent of deceased patients in both Liberia and Guinea, though Sierra Leone remains behind both targets, a doctor from the U.N.’s World Health Organization told reporters.

{mosads}Dr. Bruce Aylward, who has overseen the U.N.’s on-the-ground response to Ebola, said the progress has exceeded expectations and the region is likely to control 100 percent of cases faster than originally hoped.

“The disease has already started to slow down in some areas,” he said. “If we go back 60 days, it was like we weren’t going to see that anywhere.”

Still, he said it’s impossible to predict when or if the countries will get to zero new cases. Aylward said the western part of Sierra Leone remains a concern because “the virus got a leg up” in that region “and took advantage of it.”

“How quickly this thing can scale up is still such a concern,” Aylward said.

Aylward, who traveled to D.C. last week, said it was “a great thing” that panic has receded in the United States.

“Hysteria doesn’t ever help in a crisis,” he said, while adding that the U.S. leaders of the response are still demonstrating “deep concern and that alarm of failing.”

Aylward reiterated the need for international funding, and said countries have committed about $920 million out of the $1.55 billion that is needed.

“Gaps in financing result in real gaps in operations,” he warned, adding that West Africa is still not seeing a fully funded or fully staffed response.

Sierra Leone, which has seen an escalating outbreak in the last several weeks, is set to outpace Liberia as the country worst-affected by Ebola.

Still, Aylward he said “the prognosis is quite good” because of the amplified response by Sierra Leone’s health officials.