Kigali, May 17 (IANS). Necessary steps have been taken due to the increasing outbreak of Ebola in Congo. The border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was closed in Rwanda’s Rubavu district on Sunday.
Prosper Mulindwa, mayor of Rubavu district in Rwanda’s Western province, told media that the border linking Goma and Rubavu-Giseni has been closed indefinitely to prevent the spread of the disease.
“The borders connecting Goma and Gisenyi have been temporarily closed due to the Ebola outbreak. We will continue to talk to our people and explain to them why this decision has been taken,” he said, reports Xinhua news agency.
Mulindwa appealed to the people to be patient and cooperate. He said that this step has been taken to protect public health and communities from possible infection.
Although the border is temporarily closed, health officials are still screening Rwandan citizens who are arriving from Congo, and Congolese citizens are also being allowed to return to their country after strict health checks.
According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 87 people have died so far due to this Ebola outbreak in Congo. The organization warned that the outbreak is linked to the ‘Bundibugyo’ strain, for which no specific vaccine is currently available, and could pose a risk of rapid spread.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda has become a ‘public health emergency of international concern’.
WHO said on social media platform ‘X’ that this outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, but it does not fall into the category of epidemic.
The WHO Director-General thanked the leadership of Congo and Uganda and said that they have shown commitment to taking necessary and strong measures to control the situation.
He also said that transparency has been shown about the risks to give other countries the opportunity to prepare in time, so that the global community can take appropriate action.
–IANS
AY/ABM
