US suspends visas from three African countries over Ebola fears
US visa curbs target travellers from South Sudan, DRC and Uganda as Washington moves to contain a fast-spreading Ebola outbreak
The United States has suspended visa issuance for people who have travelled to South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or Uganda within 21 days of entering the US, as Washington steps up measures to contain the spread of Ebola, Thansettakij reported, citing the Wall Street Journal.
The measure, reportedly detailed in an internal US State Department document, also covers US lawful permanent residents who recently visited the three countries, temporarily restricting their return to the United States.
The Trump administration is moving to respond to a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak that international health officials have warned could become the worst in at least a decade. The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccine or treatment is currently available, according to the report.
The outbreak began in Ituri province in eastern Congo before spreading quickly. The World Health Organization officially confirmed the outbreak on May 15. As of Friday, May 22, WHO had reported 177 suspected deaths and 750 suspected cases.
The US has announced US$23 million in emergency funding to support up to 50 specialised treatment centres in affected areas. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also deployed specialists to Uganda to assist with disease surveillance, laboratory testing and contact tracing.
The CDC is also working with Kenya’s Ministry of Health to help prevent cross-border transmission, amid growing concern over the regional public health situation.
The new US measures come after major changes to the country’s foreign aid structure. Critics and some health officials have argued that the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development last year, along with cuts to international assistance, weakened local public health networks and may have delayed detection of the virus.
The US State Department has rejected those claims, pointing to a five-year, US$1.2 billion health agreement signed with the DRC in February as evidence that Washington continues to support countries in the region.
