The World Health Organization (WHO) has advised against imposing travel and trade restrictions on Rwanda following the first confirmed Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak.
The outbreak, which the Ministry of Health declared on September 27, has primarily affected healthcare workers in Kigali.
WHO emphasized that restrictions could harm the affected population and hinder economic stability while discouraging the rapid sharing of crucial public health data needed to manage the outbreak.
The global health body noted that such measures are “ineffective and unnecessary” for controlling the ongoing outbreak. It stressed that all confirmed cases have been confined to hospital clusters in Kigali, with no evidence of community transmission.
The outbreak is now recognized as the third-largest recorded instance of MVD, a severe viral disease often compared to Ebola in terms of symptoms and transmission. The Rwandan government has swiftly responded with strict public health measures, including isolating confirmed cases, conducting extensive contact tracing, and setting up a specialized treatment centre for the virus.
Despite these efforts, several countries have implemented travel advisories, temporarily discouraging travel to Rwanda. However, WHO insists that the situation is under control and urges global cooperation in managing the outbreak while allowing essential travel and trade activities to continue.
As Rwanda works to contain the virus, international health authorities call for calm and caution, encouraging the global community to support the country’s response without resorting to restrictive measures.
