Health workers in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo say the 1,000th person to have recovered from Ebola during the current outbreak has returned home after being cured.

More than twice as many people have died since the outbreak began over a year ago partly because suspicion and mistrust have undermined efforts to stop the virus spreading.

In a situation where there is such deep mistrust of attempts to deal with Ebola, these survivors can play a crucial role.

The health workers say they help persuade other people who fall sick to seek treatment immediately.

The UN's Emergency Ebola Response Coordinator, David Gressly, says every survivor gives health workers reason and motivation to continue to enhance the fight against the virus.

But he adds every survivor is also a reminder of the lives they were not able to save.