WHO calls for lifting of ebola travel restrictions

What the report says

The World Health Organization has called on countries to remove travel restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak, saying such measures can discourage governments from reporting cases and cooperating with health authorities. The appeal came from WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a media briefing in Geneva, according to the report from The Independent Uganda, as the organisation discussed the latest outbreak response in Nigeria, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The article says a patient confirmed with Ebola in Nigeria was transferred to Geneva for specialised treatment, while a close contact is being monitored in isolation in Zurich. It also reports that five of nine confirmed patients in Kenya recovered and were discharged, with additional contacts completing quarantine. WHO said the Kenyan and Nigerian responses showed the value of preparedness and transparent reporting in containing imported infections.

The broader outbreak remains concentrated in the DRC, where the report says the health system is under pressure from ongoing Ebola transmission and a separate cholera outbreak. WHO is supporting surveillance, treatment and contact tracing there, and is also backing vaccine trials for the Bundibugyo strain involved in the current outbreak. The report notes that existing Ebola vaccine stocks are being used in trials, while additional candidates are being considered for further testing.

More generally, public-health experts often warn that travel bans can complicate outbreak response if they reduce openness or limit the movement of health teams. In this case, WHO emphasized that vaccination alone is not enough and that early treatment, isolation, contact tracing and safe burials remain central to control efforts.