- The United States Department of Health and Human Services extended its Ebola travel notice covering three African countries for another 30 days
- The CDC cited ongoing cross-border transmission risks and deteriorating contact tracing rates in eastern DRC as key concerns driving the decision
- WHO and an African leader pushed back against the notice, arguing travel restrictions have no scientific basis under International Health Regulations
Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over four years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services extended its Ebola travel notice on Sunday, October 11, covering the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan for an additional 30 days.
Source: Getty Images
The notice came despite Uganda having successfully contained its own outbreak. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explained that continued overland movement from the DRC presents a persistent cross-border risk, particularly among healthcare workers and communities in western Ugandan border districts.
"Although the country has achieved successful containment of the outbreak, continued overland travel from DRC poses an ongoing risk of cross-border transmission, particularly among healthcare workers and in western Ugandan districts that serve as points of entry for travellers seeking medical care," the CDC stated.
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Notably, the notice excluded Kenya, where an Ebola case was confirmed the previous week.
The US health agency cited a recent incident involving transit through Kampala as an illustration of the potential risks.
"For example, on October 6, 2026, the Kenya Ministry of Health announced the country's first BVD [Bundibugyo Virus Disease] case and death in an individual who had travelled from DRC to Uganda, flown from Kampala to Nairobi on October 2, and was hospitalised before dying on October 5, 2026," the CDC stated.
Ebola situation in the DRC
The CDC pointed to deteriorating outbreak response indicators inside the DRC as the primary justification for the extended notice.
The Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak in eastern DRC continued to spread geographically as of October 5, 2026, with containment measures described as insufficient in scale.
Contact tracing coverage had fallen to 80%, down from 87% in September, and well below the 95% threshold considered necessary to slow transmission effectively.
Uganda's Director General of Health Services, Charles Olaro, stated as recently as October 6 that Uganda "remains free of Ebola" and maintains "strong surveillance and preparedness measures."
WHO and African Leaders Reject Travel Restrictions
The notice drew criticism from regional health authorities and political leaders. WHO Regional Director for Africa, Prof Mohamed Yakub Janabi, argued that border closures and travel restrictions carry no scientific backing as outbreak control tools.
"Travel restrictions and border closures have got no scientific backing that they are effective in controlling outbreaks," Prof Janabi said. "So we continue to encourage all member states... to remind us that the International Health Regulation does not state anywhere that if you close the borders or put travel restrictions in place, it will help."
The tension between Washington's precautionary stance and the WHO's guidance under the International Health Regulations reflects a continuing disagreement over how travel measures should be applied during active outbreaks on the continent.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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