Uganda bars travelers with DRC travel history from transiting to curb Ebola spread

What the report says

Uganda’s Health Ministry has introduced a transit restriction on travelers with recent travel history to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, saying the step is meant to reduce the risk of Ebola entering or spreading through the country. According to The Independent Uganda, the announcement was made Friday in Kampala and followed reports involving travelers who had passed through Uganda after coming from the DRC.

The ministry said one suspected case involved a traveler who later tested positive for Ebola after arriving in Nigeria, while another traveler with DRC travel history transited through Uganda and was confirmed positive in Kenya earlier in October. The report says Uganda is acting as Ebola continues to spread rapidly in parts of the DRC, prompting tighter screening and border controls.

Under the new measures, all travelers, regardless of origin, must fill out locator forms to help with contact tracing if needed. The ministry also said infection prevention and control measures have been strengthened at entry and exit points, as well as in health facilities, and that nationwide surveillance remains in place. People entering through unofficial routes could face prosecution, and communities were urged to report suspected illegal border crossings.

The article notes that Uganda remains Ebola-free. It adds background that the country previously recorded 20 confirmed cases, including two deaths, before the outbreak was declared over by the World Health Organization and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Aug. 27 after 42 days without a new confirmed case.