WHO chief appeals against travel bans as Ebola cases surge in DRC, Uganda
Bunia, May 31
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries that have imposed travel bans or closed borders in response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda to reconsider such measures.
Speaking at a joint press conference on Saturday in Bunia, the capital of the northeastern Ituri Province and the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak, Tedros said such restrictions could complicate response efforts and risk discouraging transparency and trust, which are essential to saving lives, Xinhua news agency reported.
"I call on countries that have imposed travel bans or border closures to reconsider. These measures make the response harder, and they discourage transparency and trust that saves lives," Tedros said.
Despite the lack of approved vaccines and specific medicines, the WHO chief said patients could still recover if they receive timely, quality medical care.
Tedros said his visit to Bunia was also aimed at engaging directly with affected communities in this outbreak, in which over 1000 suspected cases have been reported.
Uganda has also reported nine confirmed cases after detecting two new infections in the capital, Kampala, the Ugandan health ministry said on Friday.
DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba said the country aims, "in the best-case scenario," to contain and end the outbreak within "four to six months," based on its experience in responding to epidemics and the known course of the Ebola virus disease.
He said the immediate priority is to contain the virus within the three affected provinces -- Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu -- and prevent further spread.
Kamba also highlighted the country's strengthened laboratory testing capacity, with no backlog of samples remaining. Around 900 samples had been tested, of which about 260 were positive, he said, adding that the country now has the capacity to process all incoming samples, even if daily testing rises to 200 or 300 samples.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's heartbreaking that over 1000 suspected cases are reported and there are no approved vaccines yet. The 4-6 month timeline to contain this seems optimistic but I hope the DRC health ministry can pull it off with WHO support.
The WHO chief makes a good point about trust being essential. When countries impose bans without coordination, it creates panic and people hide symptoms. Remember the Nipah virus in Kerala? Our government's transparent communication helped control it quickly. DRC needs that same approach - local engagement and trust-building. 👍
I get the concern about border closures, but how can you expect countries not to protect their own citizens? The DRC outbreak has already spread to Uganda, including the capital Kampala. Countries should help DRC contain the outbreak instead of just criticizing travel bans.
India has experience with infectious disease control through our public health system, and one lesson is clear: bans alone won't work without strong surveillance and community cooperation. The DRC's lab capacity to handle 200-300 daily samples is encouraging. But 260 positive out of 900 samples is a high positivity rate - that needs urgent attention. Let's hope the international community steps up help instead of turning away.
The WHO chief is right - bans undermine trust. But countries have legitimate security concerns too. The balance between public health and sovereignty is tricky. Maybe a middle path: allow essential travel with screening and quarantine protocols, rather than complete border closures? 🤔
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.