DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The World Health Organization says Ebola no longer qualifies as an international health emergency.

The announcement was made Tuesday by Margaret Chan, director-general of the WHO, who said high vigilance must still be maintained in West Africa.

Nearly 11,000 people have died mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since December 2013.

Each of the three has declared an end to Ebola virus transmission in their countries only to see a flare-up of new cases. Health authorities have said that male survivors can transmit the virus sexually to their partners for up to a year after they recover.

An Associated Press investigation found that WHO initially delayed declaring an international emergency — similar to an SOS signal — in the first place on political and economic grounds.