Uganda closes border with DR Congo to contain rare Ebola strain

Ugandan authorities have ordered the closure of the country's border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with immediate effect to curb the spread of a rare type of Ebola.

The decision was taken by the national Ebola task force, led by Vice President Jessica Alupo, following a rise in cases among Ugandan health workers who were exposed to the virus by Congolese patients crossing the border before the outbreak was officially declared on 15th May.

Uganda has so far recorded seven cases of the rare Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, including the death of a man in the capital, Kampala.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) criticised the border closure, stating that such measures have no basis in science and tend to drive the movement of people and goods toward unmonitored informal crossings, thereby increasing the risk of transmission. The criticism comes despite the WHO recently declaring the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

Health authorities in the DRC face severe challenges in containing the epidemic, with suspected cases nearing 1,000, alongside 220 suspected deaths and 101 laboratory-confirmed infections. The response has been significantly hindered by delayed detection of the rare strain, security threats from armed groups, high numbers of displaced persons, and poor infrastructure.

Dr Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary of the Ugandan Ministry of Health, confirmed that the number of local exposures continues to rise as infected frontline health workers risk transmitting the virus to their families.