IOM Warns Border Closures Are Fueling Hidden Ebola Spread
Confirmed Ebola cases in Congo surpassed 300 as of Monday, according to the latest Health Ministry figures, with the death toll climbing to 48. Uganda has recorded 15 confirmed cases and one death to date.
"Viruses do not stop at borders, and neither should our response," said Ugochi Daniels, IOM deputy director general for operations.
"When borders close, people often continue moving through informal routes where health screening and surveillance are limited. The most effective response is coordinated action that keeps mobility visible, safe and monitored," she added.
The UN agency cautioned that reactive border shutdowns erode the very tools needed to fight the outbreak — health screening, surveillance, contact tracing, and early detection — by pushing population movement into unmonitored corridors. Its own flow monitoring data from key formal and informal crossing points confirmed that cross-border mobility is continuing despite existing restrictions, increasingly through unofficial routes.
"Evidence from previous health emergencies shows that movement restrictions do not stop mobility but often redirect it towards informal and less-monitored routes," the IOM said.
Last month, Canada, the US, and several other nations introduced travel restrictions and visa suspensions targeting residents from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan in response to the outbreak. Rwanda and Uganda — both sharing borders with Congo — have similarly curtailed travel from their neighbor.
The current outbreak, Congo's 17th recorded Ebola crisis, was formally declared on May 15 and now ranks as the third largest on record — underscoring both the disease's persistent threat and the critical need for sustained preparedness across the region.
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