Omanghana
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called on the United States to immediately remove its Ebola-related travel restrictions on Uganda, arguing that the East African nation has successfully contained its outbreak and no longer poses a significant public health risk.
Speaking during an African Union health summit in Accra, Ghana, Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya revealed that he had formally written to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., requesting an urgent review of the travel measures.
Africa CDC Says Uganda Has Controlled the Outbreak
According to the Africa CDC, Uganda has made significant progress in containing the Ebola outbreak, making continued travel restrictions unnecessary.
The agency highlighted several key developments:
- No new Ebola infections have been reported in the country for more than three weeks.
- Zero active cases remain after Uganda discharged its final recovering Ebola patient on July 16.
- The final patient’s recovery triggered the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mandatory 42-day monitoring period, after which Uganda is expected to be officially declared Ebola-free in late August if no additional cases are detected.
- Uganda recorded a relatively limited outbreak, with 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, most of which were linked to individuals who had crossed the border from neighboring countries.
Dr. Kaseya said these milestones demonstrate that Uganda has effectively managed the outbreak and that maintaining travel restrictions is no longer justified from a public health perspective.
U.S. Travel Restrictions Remain in Effect
The United States introduced the travel restrictions under a public health order that bars entry for non-U.S. citizens who recently traveled to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), or South Sudan.
The measures have since been extended through mid-August.
Africa CDC argues that prolonged travel restrictions can have unintended consequences, including disrupting trade, discouraging tourism and investment, diverting medical personnel, and reducing incentives for countries to report disease outbreaks transparently.
DRC Continues to Face Severe Ebola Crisis
While calling for Uganda’s restrictions to be lifted, the Africa CDC stressed that the Ebola situation in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo remains a major concern.
According to the agency, the DRC has recorded 2,344 confirmed Ebola cases and 930 deaths, making it the epicenter of the current regional outbreak.
Health officials warned that without increased international support, the crisis could become the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the region.
Africa CDC Appeals for Greater Global Support
To strengthen containment efforts across affected countries, the Africa CDC has appealed for US$1.4 billion in international funding.
However, African governments have so far pledged only US$110 million, leaving a significant financing gap for emergency response operations.
The agency says additional resources are urgently needed to strengthen surveillance, expand treatment capacity, protect healthcare workers, and prevent further cross-border transmission as efforts continue to bring the regional outbreak under control.
Source: Omanghana
