Uganda has shut its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo due to worries about the Ebola virus spreading, as reported by the country’s health ministry. The virus outbreak remains centered in Congo’s Ituri province, located near Uganda’s western border.
The border closure was announced following confirmation of seven Ebola cases and one death in Kampala, Uganda’s capital.
Dr. Diana Atwine, a leading official in Uganda’s ministry of health, stated that the closure is temporary. She highlighted specific exemptions to the closure, stating, “The only exceptions are for authorized Ebola response teams, the humanitarian operations, food and cargo transportation and security, but all this still will be under a strict health screening and monitoring protocols across the border.”
She emphasized that anyone entering the country under these exemptions will undergo rigorous health screenings. Uganda also plans to dispatch Ebola response teams to assist efforts in Congo.
The expansive border, measuring over 500 miles, poses challenges to completely halting migration between the two nations. The World Health Organization has recorded over 1,000 cases and more than 200 deaths due to the outbreak, primarily in Congo. The outbreak was declared a global health emergency on May 17.
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