Addis Ababa – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) acknowledges the U.S. government’s recent announcement of a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory concerning the DRC.
Furthermore, the United States has put entry restrictions in place for non-U.S. passport holders who have recently traveled to the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan.
In a statement released on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, Africa CDC noted that the U.S. has been a longstanding and respected partner in areas such as disease surveillance, emergency response, workforce development, and global health security.
As of 18 May 2026, around 395 suspected cases and 106 related deaths have been reported in the DRC, mostly in the Mongwalu, Rwampara, and Bunia Health Zones, along with two cases and one death in Kampala, Uganda.
Ebola is a serious and often fatal disease that spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals, contaminated materials, or deceased people harboring the virus.
Key measures to disrupt transmission include early detection, prompt isolation and medical care, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, community involvement, and safe, dignified funerals.
Since the outbreak’s onset, Africa CDC has continuously shared information with Member States, partners, the media, and the global community, achieving over 1,600 citations in international media that refer to Africa CDC data and technical updates.
Africa CDC reaffirms its understanding of the U.S. government’s advisory and entry restrictions affecting non-U.S. passport holders who have been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan recently.
The agency fully respects each government’s sovereign responsibility to ensure the health and safety of its citizens.
“Our concern is not about the intention to protect populations but about the implementation of broad travel restrictions as a primary public health strategy during outbreaks,” stated Africa CDC.
“Public health strategies during outbreaks should be informed by science, proportionality, transparency, international collaboration, and adherence to international health regulations.”
Africa CDC firmly asserts its stance: sweeping travel restrictions and border closures are not effective solutions for outbreaks.
Such measures can create fear, damage economies, hinder transparency, complicate humanitarian efforts, and divert movement to unmonitored paths, ultimately heightening public health risks.
“The fastest way to safeguard all nations is to robustly support outbreak control at its source,” remarked H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC.
“Achieving global health security cannot rely solely on borders—it necessitates collaboration, trust, scientific engagement, and swift investment in preparedness and response capabilities.”
This ongoing Ebola outbreak highlights deeper systemic inequities in global health innovation: the Bundibugyo Ebolavirus was identified nearly two decades ago, yet no licensed vaccines or treatments for this strain exist today.
Africa CDC contends that had this disease primarily posed a risk to wealthier regions, medical countermeasures would have likely been developed by now.
A similar pattern was noted during the West African Ebola outbreak when solutions emerged only after an American doctor was infected, while thousands of Africans perished without assistance.
We must not allow this error to recur.
The declaration of the PHECS on 18 May 2026 on the Africa CDC Official Website sought to mobilize political leadership, resources, and unified continental action.
This is not a call for panic, but a plea for solidarity, urgency, and collective responsibility.
Africa CDC urges enhanced international support for:
- Improved cross-border preparedness and regional coordination;
- Ongoing assistance for frontline health workers and Ministries of Health;
- Strengthening risk communication and active community engagement;
- Expansion of Bundibugyo Ebolavirus laboratory diagnostics and genomic sequencing;
- Deployment of epidemiologists and emergency response specialists;
- Increased funding for surveillance, logistics, infection control, and case management, including the capability to isolate cases and organize dignified burials;
- Accelerated development of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics for all Ebola strains;
Africa CDC is fully mobilized to support the DRC, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, and all at-risk Member States.
