The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Thursday welcomed the announcement of the end of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and renewed its call for increased investment in the early warning and response mechanisms.

Elhadj As Sy, Secretary General of the IFRC, said in a statement that the role of local Red Cross volunteers and affected communities themselves in bringing the outbreak to an end could not be underestimated.

"Today's announcement is a testament to the dedication, courage and strength of communities across West Africa, and to the many local and international actors that have supported them over the past 22 months," he noted.

The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the end of Ebola virus transmission in Liberia on Thursday, marking all known chains of transmission have been stopped in West Africa.

It is the first time since the start of the epidemic two years ago that all three of the hardest-hit countries - Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone - have reported zero cases for at least 42 days.

According to IFRC, the National Red Cross Societies of these three countries were among the first organizations to respond in March 2014 when the first Ebola cases were identified and confirmed.

Since the outbreak was first announced in early 2014, more than 10,000 Red Cross volunteers have been trained on the Ebola response, with many risking their lives on the frontline, IFRC said, adding that what's equally important is that the Red Cross teams assumed responsibility for providing safe and dignified burials for those who died, a dangerous intervention that was crucial in bringing the outbreak under control.

"Our volunteers were often the difference between life and death," said Sy. "Now that the outbreak is over, they can play a critical role in strengthening community resilience; in helping their communities prepare for future challenges."

However, IFRC stressed that the threat has not passed, and the world's focus now must be on strengthening the capacity within these three countries to effectively identify and respond to future outbreaks.

"Ebola illustrated the weakness of health systems in this region, let's not wait for another reminder," Alasan Senghore, the IFRC's Regional Director for Africa, said.