The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr Jean Kaseya, has written to the United States government requesting the removal of Ebola-related travel restrictions imposed on Uganda, arguing that the country has made significant progress in controlling the outbreak.
Kaseya said Uganda had gone about one month without reporting new Ebola infections, indicating that the outbreak was under control and that continued travel restrictions were no longer justified.
“There is no reason for the U.S. to continue with this travel restriction,” Kaseya said while speaking at a health conference in Accra, Ghana, where he called for a review of the measures affecting travellers from Uganda.
The Africa CDC chief addressed the letter to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., urging Washington to reconsider the restrictions as Uganda moves towards recovery from the Ebola outbreak.
The United States introduced enhanced travel screening and entry measures in May 2026 following Ebola outbreaks reported in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The measures included additional screening requirements for travellers from affected countries and routing of some passengers through designated U.S. airports for health assessments.
Kaseya’s appeal comes after Uganda discharged its last Ebola patient on July 16, beginning a 42-day monitoring period required by World Health Organisation guidelines before the country can be declared free of the virus.
Uganda reported 20 Ebola cases during the outbreak, while the larger regional outbreak in the DRC recorded more than 2,400 cases, according to figures cited by Reuters.
The Africa CDC has previously called for coordinated regional action in responding to Ebola outbreaks, noting the close movement of people across borders between affected countries. The agency has commended Uganda and the DRC for their response efforts, including surveillance, case management and public health interventions.
Kaseya has also urged African countries to support the call for lifting restrictions, saying the continent should stand with countries that have experienced outbreaks while maintaining vigilance against further spread of the disease.
Ugandan health authorities have continued monitoring contacts and strengthening surveillance systems as part of efforts to ensure the outbreak does not resurface.
The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has maintained travel health measures for Uganda and other affected countries, advising travellers to monitor their health after leaving affected areas.
The lifting of travel restrictions would be expected to ease movement for travellers, businesses and tourism operators while Uganda works to restore confidence in international travel.