African Union Urges Stricter Border Controls Amid Ebola Outbreak

The African Union's public health agency has called on its member states to enhance health screenings at airports, ports, and land borders to curb the spread of the Ebola outbreak declared in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), sent a letter to health ministers urging coordinated measures. These measures aim to reduce the risk of cross-border transmission while ensuring that mobility, trade, and humanitarian operations are not unduly affected. Kaseya emphasized that exit screenings are designed to facilitate early detection of potential cases and build confidence among travelers and international partners.

"Public health protection and preserving safe mobility must go hand in hand," Kaseya stated. "Exit screenings offer countries a practical, visible, and science-based tool to reduce risks, reassure communities, and avoid unnecessary disruptions to travel, trade, and response operations."

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Public health protection and preserving safe mobility must go hand in hand.

The agency recommended strengthening non-invasive traveler screenings, deploying trained personnel at entry and exit points, improving referral protocols for individuals with Ebola-like symptoms, and enhancing risk communication. Coordination among health ministries, airport and port authorities, immigration services, and security agencies was also highlighted as crucial.

This appeal precedes a high-level meeting scheduled for June 16, where African heads of state and international partners will convene to mobilize resources and political support for the epidemic response. The current outbreak, declared on May 15, has resulted in 115 deaths and 598 confirmed cases in the DRC. The epidemic has also spread to Uganda, with 19 detected infections, including 14 considered imported from the DRC, resulting in two deaths. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, which has a fatality rate of 30-50% and lacks an authorized vaccine or specific treatment.

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Exit screenings offer countries a practical, visible, and science-based tool to reduce risks, reassure communities, and avoid unnecessary disruptions to travel, trade, and response operations.