The World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend imposing travel or trade restrictions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda following a review of current data regarding the Ebola outbreak.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing the organization's representative office, that the global health body maintains an open-border policy to ensure economic stability while managing the health crisis.
The WHO informed RIA Novosti that based on the latest epidemiological data, there is no evidence to justify the suspension of international traffic. The organization emphasized that screening at points of entry and heightened surveillance are more effective measures than total travel bans, which can often hinder the delivery of medical aid and essential supplies to affected regions.
Ebola virus disease is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. Key symptoms include high fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and in some cases, internal and external bleeding.
On May 17, the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This designation is used for extraordinary events that constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease and potentially require a coordinated international response. To date, the death toll has reached 139, with more than 600 confirmed cases of infection reported in the region.
