Uganda Closes Border With DR Congo Amid Suspected Ebola Cases Approaching 1,000
Uganda has shut its border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo as officials ramp up measures to control the spread of Ebola.
Uganda has shut its border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as officials take action to manage a rising Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, where suspected cases are nearing 1,000 amid increasing concerns about regional transmission.
The closure was announced by Uganda’s National Task Force on Ebola Response, which indicated that the decision was motivated by growing concerns regarding the cross-border transmission of the virus between the two neighboring countries, which have extensive border communities and active trade corridors throughout East and Central Africa.
The development follows closely behind Uganda’s first recorded Ebola case associated with the ongoing outbreak, occurring less than two weeks ago. The case involved a national from Congo who entered Uganda seeking medical treatment.
Authorities confirmed that the patient later passed away on May 14 in intensive care in Kampala after exhibiting severe hemorrhagic symptoms consistent with an Ebola infection.
Ugandan authorities have announced that they will now rigorously control movement across the border in light of the recent restrictions. The two countries will only allow authorized Ebola response personnel, humanitarian workers, cargo and food transport operators, and security officials to cross.
Health officials say that the stricter border measures are an important part of larger efforts to prevent more cases from coming in, as monitoring and response activities increase in the affected areas of eastern DRC, where infection rates continue to rise.
