The government has appealed to the United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates to lift travel restrictions imposed on Ugandan travellers following the country’s Ebola outbreak.
Speaking at a joint press briefing, the minister of Health, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, said Uganda has already been declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization (WHO), making the continued restrictions unnecessary.
Uganda was affected by an outbreak of the Sudan strain of Ebola Virus Disease earlier this year. To prevent the disease from spreading across borders, several countries introduced additional screening measures and restrictions for travellers arriving from Uganda.
Although the outbreak has since been declared over, some countries continue to subject travellers from Uganda to enhanced public health measures.
Baryomunsi said Uganda was declared Ebola-free by the WHO on July 27 after successfully containing the outbreak.
“It is unfortunate that Ugandans travelling to the United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates are still being subjected to quarantine and other restrictions despite the country being declared Ebola-free,” he said.
He questioned why the measures remain in place and called on the affected countries to review their decisions based on scientific evidence rather than fear.
“Ebola is not a disease that spreads casually. The current restrictions are not supported by science. We ask these countries to revisit their decisions using scientific methodology,” Baryomunsi said.
He added that unnecessary travel restrictions affect ordinary citizens, businesses and the country’s economy.
The minister also reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to supporting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the latest Ebola outbreak continues.
He said Uganda has already deployed 57 medical experts to the DRC to support efforts to contain the disease.
Also speaking at the briefing, the Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr Jean Kaseya, praised Uganda for successfully controlling the outbreak.
He criticised countries that continue imposing restrictions on Ugandan travellers despite the WHO declaration.
“First of all, we congratulate Uganda for successfully containing the outbreak, especially in a densely populated city like Kampala,” Kaseya said.
He described the outbreak as a serious public health emergency but said Uganda demonstrated strong leadership, effective surveillance and rapid response.
“We should avoid double standards. Africa CDC supported Uganda from the beginning, and the country has shown that outbreaks can be controlled through coordinated action,” he said.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Prof Mohamed Yakub Janabi, commended Uganda for its effective response to the outbreak.
He said Ebola remains a major public health threat in the Democratic Republic of Congo and warned that Uganda must remain vigilant because of the close movement of people across the common border.
“Uganda’s biggest asset has been the peace and stability that enabled health workers to respond effectively. Peace is essential for controlling disease outbreaks,” Janabi said.
