South Sudan urges removal of Ebola-related travel restrictions

Juba, June 26 (IANS) South Sudan on Friday urged foreign governments to lift Ebola-related travel and visa restrictions imposed on its citizens, saying the measures are affecting those who need to travel abroad for medical treatment and education.

“There is no Ebola here. No one is dying here. But people are now dying because they are unable to travel abroad for medical treatment,” Francis Oromo, undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, told a joint press conference with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

According to Oromo, South Sudan activated its emergency response plan immediately after outbreaks were reported in neighbouring countries by deploying response teams to high-risk states, strengthening surveillance, and expanding isolation capacity, Xinhua news agency reported.

The ministry noted that all seven suspected Ebola cases identified nationwide, including four in Juba, tested negative.

As South Sudan remains at risk due to cross-border movement and its proximity to affected areas, health authorities are collaborating with neighbouring countries, regional health bodies, and international partners to share information and strengthen disease surveillance.

Humphrey Karamagi, WHO representative in South Sudan, reaffirmed that the country remains Ebola-free, saying the detection and investigation of suspected cases demonstrate that the national surveillance system is functioning effectively.

“From a scientific point of view, WHO does not recommend border closures or travel restrictions,” Karamagi added.

Meanwhile, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has appealed for 1.4 billion U.S. dollars to finance Ebola outbreak response efforts, as the number of confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda surpassed 1,130.

During an online press briefing on Thursday evening, Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said that a total of 1,138 confirmed Bundibugyo Ebola cases and 293 deaths have been recorded across the DRC and Uganda, representing a case fatality rate of about 25.75 per cent, including 20 confirmed cases and two deaths in Uganda. A total of 136 patients have recovered from the viral disease so far.

–IANS

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