The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, has urged Uganda to reconsider its decision to close its border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
According to a Reuters report, Mr Ghebreyesus appealed during a visit to an Ebola isolation unit in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, where he praised the country’s response to the outbreak as prompt and effective.
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However, he said blanket travel restrictions are generally ineffective in containing Ebola and expressed hope that Ugandan authorities would reconsider the measure.
Uganda announced the temporary closure of its border with the DRC late last month as part of efforts to curb the spread of the disease. The restriction exempts humanitarian operations, Ebola response teams, security personnel, and cargo transportation.
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Outbreak continues to expand
The outbreak, officially declared by Congolese authorities in May, has continued to spread despite ongoing response efforts.
The WHO, on Tuesday, said the ongoing outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola has resulted in 515 confirmed cases and 91 deaths in the DRC.
It also disclosed that neighbouring Uganda had also recorded 19 confirmed cases, two deaths and one probable fatal case as of 6 June.
WHO said the outbreak is concentrated in conflict-affected areas of the Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces, where insecurity, attacks on health workers, and community mistrust have complicated response efforts.
Health authorities say the Bundibugyo strain presents additional challenges because there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the virus. The outbreak is believed to have circulated undetected for several weeks before it was identified, allowing transmission chains to expand.
The WHO warned that although the global risk remains low, the risk of further spread within the region remains high due to population movement across borders and the humanitarian situation in eastern Congo.
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Continental response
Last week, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention launched a joint six-month continental preparedness and response plan to mobilise $518 million to support affected countries and strengthen readiness across Africa.
The plan, which runs from June to November 2026, seeks to support surveillance, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control, clinical care, community engagement and cross-border coordination.
WHO said the strategy would help both affected countries and neighbouring nations at risk of importing cases.
Although no Ebola case has been confirmed in Nigeria, authorities have intensified surveillance and preparedness measures following the regional outbreak.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has previously warned that Nigeria faces a risk of importing the virus through international travel, regional population movements, and porous borders.
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