The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has eased precautionary entry and visa restrictions on Ugandan nationals following the official end of the country’s recent Ebola outbreak.
The decision was announced on Saturday by the UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP).
According to UAE officials, the move comes after Uganda successfully completed the internationally required monitoring period without recording any new cases of the virus.
The UAE had imposed strict travel measures on June 6 to prevent the potential importation of Ebola from Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and South Sudan. Under those restrictions, new visa issuance for nationals of the three countries was suspended, and entry was barred for travelers arriving from the affected nations-including those transiting through third countries-unless they had spent at least 21 consecutive days outside the listed regions.
While restrictions on Uganda have now been lifted, similar measures remain in force for the DRC and South Sudan due to the ongoing epidemiological situation in both countries.
Responding to the development, Mr Adonia Ayebare, Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, confirmed holding high-level discussions with UAE authorities to seal the agreement.
“Very productive and cordial meeting with His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates,” Mr Ayebare posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.
“His Highness informed me of the decision to lift travel restrictions on Uganda, subject to a delegation of UAE visiting the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority and other entities to assess preparedness. This will be done in the next seven days. I thank His Highness and his Government for this decision to restore economic ties between our countries,” he added.
Uganda officially declared its latest Ebola outbreak over on July 28 after completing the mandatory 42-day surveillance period without any new transmission.
The outbreak was first declared on May 15 following the confirmation of imported cases from the neighboring DRC. Over the course of the outbreak, the Ministry of Health registered a total of 20 confirmed cases, 18 recoveries, and two fatalities.
NCEMA, MoHAP, and ICP noted that they will continue to monitor regional and international Ebola developments and periodically review health protocols in accordance with global risk assessments.