DR Congo & Uganda: Africa CDC Urges Against Blanket Ebola Travel Bans BODY: CITY, Country – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has advised against implementing blanket travel restrictions or bans in response to the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease (BVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
The agency argues that such measures are not supported by public health evidence and could undermine both national and global health security goals.
The Africa CDC’s guidance emphasizes the need for evidence-based, risk-based measures that allow essential travel, trade, and humanitarian activities to continue. It notes that past experiences from Ebola outbreaks have shown that travel bans offer little additional public health benefit beyond targeted risk management.
As of June 8, 2026, only a few affected provinces in the DRC and Uganda have reported Ebola cases, with robust response efforts coordinated by the continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST).
The Africa CDC’s advice comes as the WHO has scaled up support to the governments of the DRC and Uganda, focusing on surveillance, contact tracing, clinical preparedness, and management, as well as community engagement.
The Africa CDC’s guidance underscores the importance of balancing public health responses with the economic and social impact of the measures taken. While travel restrictions may seem like a straightforward solution to control an outbreak, the reality is more complex, especially in a region heavily dependent on cross-border trade and movement.
The response to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak will continue to be a test of the effectiveness of regional and international health systems.
The Africa CDC’s cautious approach aims to minimize disruption while managing the risks posed by the BVD outbreak.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: reliefweb
Source: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
