Four international airlines have suspended and restricted travel for passengers originating from Uganda following the recent Ebola outbreak, despite health authorities reporting significant progress in containing the disease.
According to the health ministry, Uganda has not registered a new Ebola case in eight straight days.
Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), said the restrictions have affected passenger movement through Entebbe International Airport and threatened efforts to restore confidence in the country as a safe travel destination.
Speaking during the handover of Ebola screening and infection prevention equipment at Entebbe International Airport, UCAA Deputy Director General Ms Olive Lumonya revealed that several airlines had either withdrawn services or tightened travel conditions for Ugandan passengers.
‘It is coming in at a time when we are under pressure to create confidence and trust in Uganda,’ Ms Lumonya said.
She added, ‘As we are all aware, a number of airlines have pulled out. We had KLM, which pulled out. We have had Flydubai pulling out. We have had Air Arabia pulling out. This week, we have also seen changes by Emirates regarding conditions under which Ugandans can travel,’ she added.
According to aviation officials, Emirates is currently prioritising transit passengers while limiting travel for passengers originating from Uganda, a move she said has increased pressure on government agencies and the aviation sector.
‘They are more or less taking in only transit passengers, not people who are coming in from Uganda. That has created a lot of pressure on all of us,’ she said.
The aviation regulator, however, expressed hope that ongoing engagements with health authorities and international partners would help restore confidence among airlines and foreign governments.
‘We hope this confidence will enable the rest of the world, the airlines and decision-makers, to make a different decision that will give Uganda fairness as they travel the world. Entebbe International Airport is safe for all travellers. We are committed and determined to walk this journey with all partners to ensure the safety, health and wellness of travellers in Uganda and beyond,’ Ms Lumonya said.
The Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, said Uganda had not registered a new Ebola case in six days, noting that hundreds of people who had been identified as contacts had successfully completed the mandatory monitoring period.
‘Since the imported cases that infected some of our health workers, it is now six days and we have not registered any positive case,’ Dr Atwine said.
She revealed that health authorities had initially traced more than 800 contacts linked to confirmed Ebola cases.
‘We have already discharged more than 400 people who completed the 21-day monitoring period, and many more will be discharged tomorrow. By the end of next week, we expect to have very few or no contacts remaining on the list,’ she said.
Dr Atwine criticised blanket travel restrictions imposed by some countries and airlines, arguing that the measures were not supported by scientific evidence.
‘I want to assure you that the population of Uganda is very safe. The people who travel to Uganda and those doing business in Uganda are very safe. There is no reason why we should see so many restrictions that are not based on science or facts,’ she said.
She explained that all identified contacts had either completed quarantine or continued to be closely monitored by health authorities, reducing the risk of further transmission.
The latest efforts to strengthen screening at Entebbe International Airport received a boost from the International Organization for Migration, IOM, which donated thermal scanners, automated hand sanitiser dispensers, and temporary isolation facilities.
Ms Jessica Healey, the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kampala, said Washington continues to work with Uganda, the DRC, and other regional governments to contain the outbreak.
‘The Department of State, in close coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, and in partnership with the governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, Uganda, and other countries in the region, is continuing to mount a rapid and comprehensive response to the Ebola outbreak,’ Ms Healey said.
She noted that more than $220 million had been mobilised through the U.S. Department of State to support Ebola preparedness, contact tracing, border screening, and community awareness programmes across the region.
IOM Uganda Chief of Mission Mr Sanusi Tejan Savage said the equipment would improve early detection and infection prevention measures at the country’s main international gateway.
‘Entebbe International Airport is Uganda’s primary gateway to the world. It represents both a point of vulnerability and a critical opportunity for interception,’ Mr Savage said.
The donation included three thermal scanners, 60 automated hand sanitiser dispensers, and tents equipped with furniture for temporary isolation and assessment of suspected cases.
‘These facilities help health teams quickly identify and manage potential cases while ensuring airport operations continue with minimal disruption,’ he said.