Saying he was in good health, former Ebola patient Dr. Craig Spencer asked the world to turn its attention back to Africa and ensure that medical volunteers and aid
workers do not face stigma and threats upon their return home, according to an AP video.

Spencer was released from a New York City hospital Tuesday after being cured of Ebola, which he contracted in Guinea while working with Doctors Without Borders.

He was greeted with cheers and wild applause when he spoke publicly for the first time, CNN reports.

All U.S. patients who had Ebola have now recovered, according to CNN.

Spencer congratulated the U.S. for its attention to the ongoing epidemic in West Africa, and said his early detection, reporting and recovery from Ebola speak to the efficiency of the protocols that are in place for health staff returning from West Africa.

“I am a living example of how those protcols work and how early detection is critical for both surviving Ebola and for ensuring that it is not spread to others,” he said.

Spencer said some of the survivors he treated invited him into their families “like a
brother.”

While his case garnered international attention, he said it’s important to remember that his infection represents a fraction of the 13,000-plus cases reported to date in West Africa, where families are being torn apart and communities destroyed.

“Please join me in turning our attention back to West Africa and ensuring that medical volunteers and aid workers do not face stigma and threats upon their return home,” he said, according to AP.

There are eight eight countries reporting Ebola with 13,268 reported cases since the outbreak began, CNN reports. Of those, there have been 4,960 reported deaths, according to the World Health Organization. The great majority of the cases have been in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.