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Ugandan officials have condemned travel restrictions imposed by the United States and other nations over an Ebola outbreak that crossed from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The East African country has received widespread praise from public health experts for its handling of the latest haemorrhagic fever flare-up.
Since mid-May, only two deaths have been recorded among 19 confirmed cases.
Most of those infected are Congolese nationals who entered Uganda from the DRC, where the outbreak has proven far deadlier.
Authorities in Kinshasa have recorded more than 676 cases and 136 deaths since May 15.
“Today, the Ugandan Health Ministry, together with the Civil Aviation Authority, ambassadors, and airline operators serving Uganda, discussed the unfair travel restrictions imposed on Uganda due to the current Ebola situation,” Diana Atwine, permanent secretary for the health ministry, said on X on Friday.
“While we appreciate the need for vigilance, blanket restrictions undermine confidence in countries that report outbreaks openly, and are not commensurate with the actual risk.”
Today, @MinofHealthUG together with the Civil Aviation Authority, Ambassadors, and airline operators serving Uganda, discussed the unfair travel restrictions imposed on Uganda due to the current Ebola situation. Uganda has been transparent from the outset, promptly sharing… pic.twitter.com/Cn2tM8fB5R
— Dr. Diana Atwine (@DianaAtwine) June 12, 2026
The United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates are among the nations that have introduced entry bans on travellers from Uganda, the DRC and neighbouring South Sudan.
The criticism came just days after World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited Kampala and praised the government’s response strategy.
However, on Friday, the UN health agency warned that the outbreak was spreading to fresh areas inside the DRC.
No vaccine for Bundibugyo strain. No vaccine or specific treatment currently exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola responsible for this outbreak – the 17th to hit the vast Central African nation.
The disease, which spreads through close contact and infected bodily fluids, has claimed more than 15,000 lives across Africa over the past five decades.
