Uganda orders immediate closure of border with Congo over Ebola fears

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleUgandan authorities have ordered the immediate closure of their border with the Democratic Republic of Congo following a surge in a rare strain of Ebola and the emergence of new cases within Uganda. The decision, made by a local Ebola task force led by Vice President Jesca Alupo, was prompted by an increase in Ugandan health workers exposed to the virus from Congolese patients. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised against such border closures, saying they are usually implemented out of fear, lack a scientific basis, and can push movement to unmonitored informal crossings, increasing disease spread. Health authorities in eastern Congo are struggling to contain the outbreak, with nearly 1,000 suspected Ebola cases, 220 suspected deaths, and 101 confirmed cases, compounded by challenges like armed groups and poor infrastructure. Uganda has reported seven Ebola cases, including one death in Kampala, and has restricted travel across the Congo border to emergency cases only, such as for Ebola response, cargo, or security reasons. In fullUganda closes its border with Congo as deadly Ebola cases surgeThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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