The World Health Organization (WHO) has advised against imposing any travel and trade restrictions on Rwanda as the country battles its first confirmed outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD). The outbreak, reported on September 27, has mainly affected healthcare workers in Kigali, with no evidence of community transmission so far.
The WHO warned that restricting travel and trade could be detrimental, potentially hindering economic recovery and discouraging the sharing of critical public health data. The organization emphasized that “travel and trade restrictions are ineffective and unnecessary for the control of the ongoing outbreak” and called for a focus on evidence-based public health measures instead.
In response to the outbreak, the Rwandan government has implemented several containment strategies, including contact tracing, isolation of confirmed cases, and extensive testing. All cases reported since the outbreak have been confined to hospital clusters in Kigali.
Despite WHO’s guidance, several countries, including the United States, have upgraded their travel advisories for Rwanda. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Level 3 advisory, recommending against non-essential travel to the country due to the outbreak. Travelers can expect delays due to additional health screenings and should remain cautious, especially near the Rwanda-Burundi and Rwanda-Democratic Republic of the Congo borders, where armed violence has been reported.
The WHO is actively supporting Rwanda’s outbreak response, deploying experts and providing necessary supplies. The organization also published a Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan aimed at halting the transmission and preventing the virus’s spread across borders. The public is urged to follow health guidelines, stay informed, and avoid contact with individuals showing symptoms such as fever, vomiting, or bleeding.