The World Health Organization has changed its methodology in reporting the number of people killed in an Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone at the request of the government.
The statement Wednesday said previously probable and suspected deaths from Ebola were included in the count but from now on, only laboratory confirmed cases will be reported from Sierra Leone, reducing the death toll from 58 to 34 as of Tuesday.
The local press in Sierra Leone had criticized the government for reporting lower death rates than the WHO.
According to WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib, the methodology for reporting fatalities in Guinea and Liberia remains unchanged because those governments did not request it.
Some 338 people have died in the three countries in what is being called the worst Ebola outbreak ever.
WHO Reduces Ebola Death Toll in Sierra Leone