WHO Urges Uganda to Rethink Congo Border Closure

KAMPALA, Uganda – The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged Uganda to reconsider its decision to close its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), warning that broad travel restrictions are unlikely to stop the spread of Ebola.

WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made the appeal on Tuesday during a visit to an Ebola isolation unit in Kampala, where he praised Uganda’s response to the outbreak but questioned the effectiveness of blanket border closures.

According to reports, Uganda temporarily shut its border with the DRC last month as part of efforts to curb the spread of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

The restrictions exempt humanitarian workers, Ebola response teams, security personnel and cargo transport.

“Travel restrictions are generally ineffective in containing Ebola,” Tedros said, expressing hope that Ugandan authorities would reconsider the decision.

The appeal comes as the Ebola outbreak continues to expand in eastern Congo despite ongoing response efforts.

The WHO reported on Tuesday that the outbreak has resulted in 515 confirmed cases and 91 deaths in the DRC.

Neighbouring Uganda has also recorded 19 confirmed infections, two deaths and one probable Ebola-related fatality as of June 6.

Health authorities say the outbreak is concentrated in conflict-affected areas of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces, where insecurity, attacks on health workers and community mistrust have complicated containment efforts.

The WHO warned that the Bundibugyo strain poses additional challenges because there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment available.

Experts believe the virus circulated undetected for several weeks before being identified, allowing transmission chains to expand.

Although WHO assesses the global risk as low, the organisation says the regional risk remains high due to extensive cross-border movement and ongoing humanitarian challenges in eastern Congo.

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Mirian Gom

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Gom Mirian AHR Senior Correspondent, has over 8 years’ experience reporting on health, crime, education, investigations, and development issues across Nigeria and Africa. With dual degrees in Economics, she combines analytical skill with compelling storytelling. Widely recognised for her public health and humanitarian reporting, she earned a Nestlé Award nomination for compelling human-interest journalism. Follow her on Twitter @mirian_linus.

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