WHO Urges Lifting of Travel Restrictions Due to Ebola

Thu, 04 Jun 2026, 10:45 WIB | By Indriyani Astuti | Source: MEDIA_INDONESIA | Social Policy

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The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has urged countries to lift travel restrictions following Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

In a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday (3/6/2026), Tedros emphasized that these travel bans are a major obstacle in efforts to control the outbreaks. He argues that total isolation policies disrupt medical supply chains and make it difficult to deliver aid to affected areas.

The situation on the ground shows a significant trend of tightening access. At the end of May, the Ministry of Health of Uganda decided to close the border with the DRC. This step was taken following the WHO’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 15.

Policy tensions also occurred in Kenya. The High Court of Kenya on May 29 issued a temporary ban on the entry of individuals infected with the Ebola virus into the country. This was in response to reports about the United States’ plan to send its citizens infected with Ebola to Kenya for treatment.

Ebola remains one of the deadliest health threats in the world. The virus is transmitted from wild animals such as bats and primates to humans, and then spreads through direct contact with the patient’s bodily fluids or contaminated objects.

UN data shows that the average mortality rate of this disease reaches 50 percent. However, in some previous outbreaks, the fatality rate has been recorded as high as 90 percent. The WHO argues that the best mitigation is through strict screening at points of departure, rather than cutting off the logistical routes that are so needed to reduce the death toll. (Ant/H-4)

Medical personnel in the DRC face serious challenges in dealing with the Ebola outbreak due to misinformation, armed conflict, and public fear.

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WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries to lift travel restrictions related to the Bundibugyo strain Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is tightening travel restrictions to prevent the spread of Ebola to the US after outbreaks in Central and East Africa.

The Ministry of Health affirmed that the government has not imposed travel restrictions to any country or region. This was in response to cases of monkeypox.

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