IOM Urges Cross-Border Coordination to Contain Ebola Outbreak in DRC, Uganda
The UN agency warned that border closures alone may be counterproductive, as they can push population movement into informal routes where health screening and monitoring are more difficult.
“Viruses do not stop at borders, and neither should our response,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM deputy director general for operations, according to reports.
She added that when official crossings are restricted, people often continue traveling through unofficial pathways, limiting the effectiveness of surveillance and increasing the risk of undetected transmission.
According to health ministry figures cited in reports, confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have surpassed 300, with at least 48 deaths recorded. In Uganda, 15 confirmed cases and one death have been reported.
The IOM emphasized that coordinated regional action is essential to maintain visibility of population movement, strengthen contact tracing, and improve early detection efforts.
The agency also noted that despite travel restrictions imposed by several countries and neighboring states, cross-border movement continues through both formal and informal routes, highlighting the challenge of containment strategies based solely on border closures.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
