World Health Organization (WHO) officials recently weighed in on the U.S. travel ban on Ebola-affected countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan.
Earlier this week, on May 16, the Global Health Organization declared the current Ebola outbreak, specifically the Bundibugyo virus, as a public health emergency of international concern.
In response to the outbreak, the Trump administration has invoked Title 42 to restrict entry for non-US passport holders who have been in the DRC, South Sudan and Uganda in the past 21 days. The ban will be in effect for at least thirty days.
But WHO officials say this ban is not recommended because Ebola is not an airborne virus.
The virus only spread through direct contact with blood or bodily fluids, so travel restrictions are “not supported under the IHR recommendations.”
At a press conference, Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, director of the Alert and Response Coordination Division of the WHO’s Emergency Health Program, said: “In recent situations, contract tracing, monitoring those who contact, isolation and immediate referrals are working.”
“Our top priority is to work closely with the DRC to ensure that all contacts are traced and that all suspected patients are placed on the clinical pathway in a safe environment and with the best care.”
“Ebola is not a casual contact. It is not airborne. I think we need to be aware of that and this relates to travel restrictions that are not supported by the IHR recommendations,” Mahamud added.
While WHO has advised countries to continue border controls, it has explicitly advised against imposing broad travel and trade restrictions, noting that such measures are often ineffective and could disrupt humanitarian aid, damage local economies and discourage international cooperation.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, director general of the African CDC, has strongly criticized the ban, saying: “The fastest path to protecting all countries in the world is to aggressively support control of outbreaks at their source.”
“Global health cannot be achieved through borders alone. It is achieved through partnership, trust, science and rapid investments in preparedness and response capacity.”
As of mid-May 2026, the outbreak has resulted in more than 500 suspected cases and more than 130 deaths.
The situation is further complicated as there are currently no widely available vaccines or specific treatments for the Bundibugyo strain.
