Africa: Africa CDC Stands With Kenya, Calls for Lifting of Unjustified Ebola Travel Restrictions

What the report says

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has backed Kenya’s appeal for Saudi Arabia to lift Ebola-related travel restrictions, saying any response should be based on scientific evidence, proportionality and international health rules. The statement, published through AllAfrica on 3 November 2026 and attributed to Africa CDC in Addis Ababa, said broad restrictions should be reviewed because they can be more damaging than helpful when they are not tied to a clear public-health risk.

Africa CDC said Kenya has responded transparently and decisively after confirming its first imported Ebola case on 6 October 2026. According to the agency and Kenyan authorities, the country has recorded nine confirmed cases and two deaths, with infections linked to one imported case. It said no new confirmed case had been reported since 19 October and that there was no evidence of sustained community transmission. The agency also noted that five patients were set to be discharged after negative tests, and that dozens of contacts had completed quarantine.

The agency praised Kenya’s health ministry and response teams for containment efforts, including tracing, monitoring, testing and infection prevention. It also argued that reporting an imported case is not, by itself, a sign of weak national health security, and warned that indiscriminate travel or visa limits can hurt trade, families and future outbreak reporting. Africa CDC said it wanted to work with Kenya, Saudi Arabia, the World Health Organization and other partners to support a science-based review of the measures.