WHO Calls for Lifting Travel Restrictions Amid Ebola Outbreak

On Wednesday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), urged nations with travel restrictions against visitors from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to reconsider these measures. He suggested that such restrictions are actually hindering efforts to control the ongoing Ebola outbreak.

During the press conference, Tedros noted that the outbreak, labeled a public health emergency by the WHO in May, may have begun as early as January without appropriate detection or intervention. He expressed that despite having a significant lead in addressing the epidemic, efforts still seem to be falling short.

Tedros recently visited Ituri province, the outbreak’s epicenter, engaging with local health officials. Local rumors claim that Ebola doesn’t exist, leading to complicating responses. Some community members have formed armed groups, believing they are “freeing” Ebola patients from the allegedly harmful health workers. Furthermore, rioters have taken the bodies of those who died from Ebola for traditional burials, which can contribute to the virus’s spread.

In what he described as very high risk on a national level, Tedros shared the latest statistics showing around 350 confirmed cases and over 60 fatalities in DRC and neighboring Uganda. Interestingly, the WHO revised the suspected cases downward from nearly 1,000 to 116. This progress was attributed to the identification and resolution of outstanding issues.

Among the significant hurdles are insufficient testing, community distrust, and a lack of vaccines and effective treatments. The currently circulating strain in the DRC is Bundibugyo, while previous outbreaks were linked to Zaire and Sudan strains. Although there is a vaccine available for the Zaire strain, much of the legacy testing infrastructure from prior outbreaks caters to that strain.

Tedros pointed out that countries imposing travel restrictions out of fear of Ebola are also complicating the situation. He argued that these measures disrupt supply chains and undermine the overall response, recommending instead that exit testing occur at points of departure.

Several nations have adopted travel restrictions following the WHO’s public health emergency declaration in May, including the United States, which mandates a 21-day monitoring period for travelers from the DRC and Uganda. Uganda has also enforced limits at its border with the DRC, blocking ferry and air routes since late May.

Canada and the Bahamas have implemented total bans for individuals coming from the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan, while other countries like Thailand and India have increased entry screening protocols.

These travel restrictions have even influenced events surrounding the FIFA World Cup, where the DRC’s national team qualified for the first time in decades. The Congolese Football Association (FECOFA) argues that the team’s players, mostly based abroad, are unlikely to spread the virus. Some support staff have complied with the necessary quarantine requirements for entry into the U.S.

While these assurances allow the DRC team to participate in the World Cup, they also resulted in the cancellation of a friendly match against Chile in Spain due to concerns about public safety.

Tedros’s comments at Wednesday’s press conference did not clarify whether he was against the entirety of travel bans, or just specific strategies like the U.S. monitoring protocol.

He remarked on the WHO’s slow response, highlighting that the Bundibugyo strain evades detection through tests designed for the Zaire strain, which has delayed action. He anticipates the outbreak could linger for months, emphasizing the challenges of contact tracing amid community distrust and ongoing conflicts.

“Some community leaders have expressed disbelief in the reality of Ebola,” he said, noting the importance of establishing trust to manage the outbreak effectively. Current conditions mean that health workers are only tracing around 45% of potential contacts, a number he believes must rise to over 90% to curb infection rates.

In the previous week, Tedros described contact tracing as “nearly impossible” given the local tensions and attacks on health workers.