Uganda suspended all public transport to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday to halt a deadly Ebola outbreak spreading nearby.
The restriction targets cross-border buses and ferries for four weeks, though cargo and food shipments remain exempt from the freeze.
The health ministry also halted all flights to the neighboring nation, with the strict aviation ban taking effect within 48 hours.
This urgent containment strategy follows the official declaration of a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever outbreak in the DRC’s Ituri province.
Uganda previously reported two suspected cross-border cases involving Congolese nationals, though officials confirm there are currently no active domestic infections.
Health authorities emphasized that Uganda’s proximity to the epicenter and deep cross-border trade networks create a high risk of virus importation.
The current epidemic has already claimed an estimated 160 lives out of nearly 671 probable cases reported within the DRC.
The World Health Organization responded to the rapidly accelerating medical crisis by declaring the outbreak an international health emergency.
Global anxiety over the disease prompted the United States to significantly intensify screenings for arriving air passengers from the region.
Simultaneously, Bahrain implemented a comprehensive month-long ban on visitors traveling from the DRC, Uganda, and vulnerable neighboring South Sudan.
Medical professionals face severe containment hurdles as no validated vaccine or clinical treatment exists for this specific Bundibugyo Ebola strain.
The invisible enemy continues to shadow the borderlands, turning standard transportation routes into high-stakes battlegrounds for regional public health.