Uganda has closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo amid a growing Ebola outbreak in the region, defying guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO). The decision was made after a rise in Ugandan health workers exposed to the virus by Congolese patients who crossed the border before the outbreak was declared on May 15. The WHO has discouraged border closures, citing concerns that they could push the movement of people and goods to informal border crossings that are not monitored, thus increasing the chances of the spread of disease.
A Muslim woman walks towards the prayer grounds at Sayo Muhamed School to perform Eid al-Adha prayers amid an Ebola outbreak in Bunia, Congo , Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
Ugandan authorities on Wednesday ordered the closure of the border with Congo with immediate effect as suspected cases surge near 1,000 in its neighbor of a rare type of Ebola. The measure, which goes against World Health Organization guidance, underscored growing fears of contagion in this East African country that, like Congo, has experience responding to Ebola outbreaks but is faced with a type this time.
A local Ebola task force made the decision to close the border after a rise in Ugandan health workers exposed to the virus by Congolese patients who crossed before the outbreak was declared on May 15. Travel across the Congo border will be authorized only in emergency cases, including for the outbreak response, cargo or security reasons, Dr. Diana Atwine, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health, told journalists.
Any people entering from Congo under emergency circumstances will be taken into mandatory self-isolation for 21 days. Tracing and isolating Ebola contacts is seen as key to stopping the spread of the disease, which usually manifests as hemorrhagic fever. The virus is spread through close contact with sick or deceased patients bodily fluids. Experts say healthcare workers and family members caring for patients face the highest risk.
The number of suspected cases in eastern Congo is nearing 1,000, with at least 220 suspected deaths. Congos health ministry on Tuesday said 101 cases have been confirmed, and they are looking into over 3,000 possible contacts. The WHO, while declaring this outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, discouraged border closures while acknowledging that neighboring countries are at high risk of contagion.
Closures push the movement of people and goods to informal border crossings that are not monitored, thus increasing the chances of the spread of disease, the U.N. agency said. Infected people or those have been in contact should not undertake international travel unless its a medical evacuation. The border between Uganda and Congo is several hundred miles long and crossed by numerous footpaths beyond formal border posts.
Many people come and go in the course of a day to visit families or to trade. Uganda is concerned about exposed health workers Uganda has reported seven cases of Ebola, including the first case of a 59-year-old man who died in Kampala, the capital, on May 14. While the Ebola case load is not spiking, the number of locals exposed to infection via health workers has been rising.
They have families, and so the number has been increasing, Atwine, the health official, said of health workers. She also said she was dismayed to see some Ugandans forming crowds to celebrate Arsenal as British Premier League champions. The team has a large following in Uganda. I dont understand, Atwine said, urging people to be vigilant, avoid shaking hands and use sanitizer.
Congo has had 17 Ebola outbreaks. Health experts say aid cuts last year by the United States and other rich nations are devastating for eastern Congo because of the regions unique problems. Aid groups fighting this outbreak say they dont have the equipment they need such as face shields and suits to protect health workers from infection, testing kits and body bags needed to safely bury victims
Ebola Outbreak Uganda Congo Border Closure WHO Guidance Health Workers Infection Risk Aid Cuts
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