Addis Ababa – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says it has taken note of the U.S. government’s decision to issue a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for the DRC.
The U.S. has also imposed entry restrictions on non-U.S. passport holders who have recently travelled to the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan.
In a statement on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, Africa CDC stated that the U.S. remains a longstanding and valued partner of Africa in disease surveillance, emergency response, workforce development, and global health security.
As of 18 May 2026, about 395 suspected cases and 106 associated deaths have been reported in the DRC (mainly in the Mongwalu, Rwampara, and Bunia Health Zones) and in Kampala, Uganda, where two cases and one death have been reported so far.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal illness transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected persons, contaminated materials, or deceased individuals infected with the virus.
Early detection, rapid isolation and care, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, community engagement, and safe and dignified burials remain essential to interrupt transmission.
Since the beginning of the outbreak, Africa CDC said it has maintained continuous information sharing with Member States, partners, media, and the international community, with more than 1 600 global media citations referencing Africa CDC data and technical updates.
Africa CDC said it takes note of the U.S. government’s decision to issue a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for the DRC and to impose entry restrictions on non-US passport holders who have recently travelled to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan.
The agency fully recognises the sovereign responsibility of every government to protect the health and security of its people.
“Our concern is not with the objective of protecting populations, but with the use of broad travel restrictions as a primary public health tool during outbreaks,” Africa CDC said.
“Public health measures during outbreaks must be guided by science, proportionality, transparency, international cooperation, and international health regulations.”
Africa CDC stated that its position was clear: generalised travel restrictions and border closures are not the solution to outbreaks.
Such measures can create fear, damage economies, discourage transparency, complicate humanitarian and health operations, and divert movement toward informal and unmonitored routes – potentially increasing public health risks rather than reducing them.
“The fastest path to protecting all countries in the world is to aggressively support outbreak control at the source,” said H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC Director General.
“Global health security cannot be achieved through borders alone. It is achieved through partnership, trust, science, and rapid investment in preparedness and response capacity.”
This current Ebola outbreak highlights a deeper structural injustice in global health innovation: the Bundibugyo Ebolavirus was identified nearly two decades ago, yet no licensed vaccines or therapeutics specific to this strain exist today.
Africa CDC believes that if this disease had predominantly threatened wealthier regions of the world, medical countermeasures would likely already be available.
The world witnessed a similar reality during the West African Ebola outbreak, when solutions were disclosed when an American doctor was infected, while thousands of Africans had already died without support.
The world must not repeat the same mistake today.
The declaration of the PHECS on 18 May 2026, Africa CDC Official Website, was intended to mobilise political leadership, resources, and coordinated continental action.
It is not a signal for panic, but a call for solidarity, urgency, and collective responsibility.
Africa CDC is calling for intensified international support for:
- Strengthened cross-border preparedness and regional coordination;
- Sustained support to frontline health workers and Ministries of Health;
- Support risk communication and strong community engagement;
- Expansion of Bundibugyo Ebolavirus laboratory diagnostics and genomic sequencing;
- Deployment of epidemiologists and emergency response experts;
- Increased financing for surveillance, logistics, infection prevention, and case management, including the capacity to isolate cases and to organise dignified burials;
- Accelerated development of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics for all Ebola strains;
Africa CDC is fully mobilised to support the DRC, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, and all at-risk Member States.
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