Key facts
- Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya has formally requested the U.S. lift Ebola-related travel restrictions on Uganda.
- Kaseya cited Uganda's lack of new Ebola infections for about a month as the reason for the request.
- The U.S. has implemented entry restrictions for travelers recently in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan.
- Uganda has reported 20 Ebola cases, while the Democratic Republic of Congo has reported over 2,400 cases.
- Uganda's last Ebola patient was discharged on July 16, and the country is nearing the end of a 42-day observation period.
ACCRA, Ghana – The head of Africa's top public health agency has formally requested that the United States lift its Ebola-related travel restrictions on Uganda. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), stated that Uganda has not reported any new Ebola infections in approximately a month, making the restrictions unnecessary.
Kaseya conveyed this request in a letter to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He urged other African nations to support this appeal as a demonstration of continental solidarity with countries affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak, which has its epicenter in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to World Health Organization guidelines, Uganda's last Ebola patient was discharged on July 16. This discharge initiates a 42-day countdown, after which the country can be declared free of the virus. Uganda has recorded a total of 20 Ebola cases, a significantly lower number compared to the over 2,400 cases reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The U.S. has implemented entry restrictions for travelers who have recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and also for some travelers who visited Uganda or South Sudan. These restrictions were initially imposed in May and were further tightened last week.