WHO Chief Urges Reconsideration of Travel Bans Amid DR Congo Ebola Outbreak

The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, recently called upon countries to reconsider and lift travel bans or border closures imposed in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. Speaking from Bunia, the capital of the northeastern Ituri Province and an epicenter of the outbreak, Tedros emphasized that such restrictions complicate the critical response efforts and risk undermining the transparency and trust essential for saving lives. The current Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was officially declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the WHO Director-General on May 17, 2026. This declaration followed the confirmation of cases in both the DRC and Uganda. The outbreak is primarily affecting the eastern provinces of the DRC, specifically Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, with cases also reported in neighboring Uganda. Dr. Tedros highlighted that conflict and insecurity are major factors severely hampering the containment efforts in the DRC. He reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire in the areas plagued by armed attacks, stressing that such violence restricts access for health workers and complicates the delivery of aid. This volatile environment makes it exceedingly difficult to implement public health measures effectively, including surveillance, case management, and risk communication. Despite the WHO's consistent advice against international travel and trade restrictions during outbreaks, several countries have implemented such measures. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) chief, Dr. Jean Kaseya, condemned these international Ebola-related travel restrictions imposed on people from the DRC, Uganda, and even South Sudan (which had no confirmed cases at the time), calling them "unacceptable." He pointed out that countries like the US, Canada, the Bahamas, Jordan, and Bahrain were among those imposing restrictions, and warned of their detrimental economic effects on the affected nations. China has also advised its citizens to exercise caution and avoid non-essential travel to the DRC, particularly to Ebola-affected regions. The WHO's stance, reiterated by Dr. Tedros, is that travel bans may only delay transmission by a few days and could have negative public health consequences by discouraging transparent reporting of outbreaks. Instead, the WHO recommends intensifying measures at the source of the outbreak and providing robust support to affected countries. Exit screening at international airports in affected countries is recommended, involving temperature checks and health assessments, but entry screening at airports outside the region is generally not considered necessary or effective. The DRC's Health Minister, Roger Kamba, expressed the country's aim to contain and end the outbreak within four to six months, leveraging their past experience with epidemics. The immediate priority is to prevent further spread beyond the three currently affected provinces. Efforts are underway to strengthen laboratory testing capacity, with hundreds of samples being processed and no backlog reported. As of late May 2026, over 1000 suspected cases and 238 suspected deaths had been reported in the latest outbreak across the DR Congo's eastern provinces, with Uganda reporting confirmed cases as well. The situation remains deeply worrisome due to the complex epidemiological and humanitarian context, including internal displacement and community mistrust, which further complicate response efforts. The outbreak's proximity to international borders and its location in high-traffic mining areas also increases the risk of regional and cross-border transmission.

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