India issues advisory against non-essential travel to Congo, Uganda and South Sudan amid Ebola outbreak

There is the government of India Citizens are advised to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan due to the Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa.

The Ministry of Health’s advisory decision, published on Saturday, May 23, 2026, came after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola epidemic in Central Africa as a “global public health emergency”.

Earlier, the apex health institute had declared the Central African outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Authorities revised the risk to “very high” at the national level in the Democratic Republic of Congo and “high” at the regional level, but the global risk remains “low”.

The current strain of Bundibugyo has no approved vaccines or treatments and requires urgent public health interventions.

As of Saturday, May 23, 2026, the total number of deaths reported from the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola has increased to 216. The total number of cases, including suspected and confirmed, is 968.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has introduced stringent screening protocols at all major international transit points, including Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, to curb potential cases.

This includes targeted surveillance, particularly for travelers arriving from or transiting through high-risk countries, including the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan; Flights operating on these routes will make mandatory in-flight health announcements and distribute Self-Declaration Forms (SDF), and passengers must notify the Airport Health Officer (APHO) or medical desk prior to immigration clearance if they exhibit symptoms or come into direct contact with body fluids of a suspected Ebola patient.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health has also introduced physical screening at entry points, where thermal screening and visual monitoring will be used 24/7 to detect febrile illnesses. Airports are also equipped with special isolation areas and rapid response ambulances to immediately isolate symptomatic individuals and transport them to designated hospital wards.

The ministry argued that all passengers arriving from target areas are legally required to self-monitor for 21 days and, if symptoms develop, seek immediate medical attention and fully disclose their travel history.

Editorial | Watch but don’t wait: About the Ebola epidemic

WHO has historically classified severe Ebola outbreaks as PHEIC. During the major West African crisis in 2014, WHO noted the unprecedented scale of the virus, stating that it was the most complex epidemic since its discovery in 1976.

WHO has consistently emphasized that controlling Ebola relies heavily on rapid surveillance, contact tracing and community engagement.

While the agency has approved specific monoclonal antibodies and vaccines for the prominent Zaire ebolavirus strain, it frequently warns about the lack of approved medical countermeasures for rarer strains such as Bundibugyo virus.