Uganda has condemned travel restrictions imposed by several Western and Middle Eastern countries in response to a spillover Ebola outbreak, describing the measures as “unfair”.
Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Diana Atwine said the blanket bans undermine transparency efforts and misrepresent the actual level of risk within the country.
Public health officials have praised Kampala’s containment response, which has limited infections to 19 confirmed cases and two deaths.
The outbreak originated in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where authorities have recorded more than 676 cases and 136 deaths. Most infections reported in Uganda involve Congolese nationals who crossed the porous border in search of medical care or refuge.
The United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates have introduced entry restrictions affecting travellers from Uganda, the DRC and South Sudan.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended Uganda’s rapid response during a visit to Kampala earlier this week, even as the World Health Organization warned that the virus continues to spread into new areas in eastern Congo.
Health experts say the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Ebola is a highly contagious haemorrhagic fever transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. Over the past five decades, Ebola outbreaks across Africa have resulted in more than 15,000 deaths.