Uganda shuts DRC border over Ebola outbreak

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The Ugandan government has temporarily closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following  heightened fears over the escalating Ebola outbreak in the neighboring country.

The drastic measures were announced by the National Task Force on Ebola Response chaired by Uganda’s Vice President, as authorities moved to contain any possible spread of the deadly virus into Uganda through cross-border movement.

In a statement issued by Uganda’s Ministry of Health on Tuesday, the government said only authorized Ebola response teams, humanitarian workers, food and cargo transporters, and essential security personnel will be allowed to cross under strict health monitoring protocols.

“Uganda is temporarily closing the border with the DRC with immediate effect. The only exceptions are for authorized Ebola response teams, humanitarian operations, food and cargo transportation, and security under strict health screening and monitoring protocols,” the ministry announced.

The Ministry of Health said all authorized entrants will undergo mandatory health screening, documentation, locator form registration and continuous monitoring at all entry points in line with surveillance guidelines.

Authorities further directed that any person returning from the DRC into Uganda will be subjected to mandatory self-isolation for 21 days under the supervision of district surveillance teams and health officials.

The latest move comes amid growing concern across East Africa over renewed Ebola infections in eastern DRC, a region that has experienced repeated outbreaks over the years due to weak health systems, conflict and frequent population movement.

Uganda has previously battled several Ebola outbreaks, including the deadly 2022 Sudan strain outbreak that killed dozens of people and forced authorities to impose quarantines and movement restrictions in affected districts.

Despite the heightened alert, Uganda’s Ministry of Health said no new Ebola case had been confirmed in the country since May 25.

“Uganda has not recorded any new confirmed case of EVD since Monday 25th May 2026. However, the total number of contacts to the confirmed cases have increased,” said Permanent Secretary Dr. Diana Atwine during a media briefing.

Schools in border districts will remain open, although authorities ordered strict adherence to Ministry of Health Standard Operating Procedures. School administrators were directed to monitor learners returning from DRC and record their temperatures daily for 21 days.

“Districts along the Uganda-DRC border shall designate at least one health facility to accommodate and monitor any learner who develops symptoms such as fever,” the ministry stated.

Regional and district commissioners have also been instructed to strictly enforce all Ebola prevention guidelines.

The government further ordered media houses to dedicate at least 30 minutes of prime-time programming daily to Ebola awareness campaigns focusing on prevention, early detection and reporting.

Health experts warn that the porous Uganda-DRC border remains one of the biggest challenges in controlling infectious disease outbreaks due to constant trade, refugee flows and informal crossings.