Africa CDC Boss Challenges ‘Unfair’ U.S. Travel Notice to Rwanda Over Marburg

The Director General of Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya, on Wednesday, October 9, said that the decision by the US to issue a travel notice to Rwanda due to the Marburg outbreak is unfair and unacceptable.

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday, October 8, issued a level 3 travel notice for the country and said next week it will begin screening travelers who have recently been in Rwanda. Regarding the travel notice, the US-CDC upped its advice from a level 2 notice (take enhanced precautions) to a level 3, which urges people to reconsider nonessential travel. It said the recommendation applies to all of Rwanda, because Marburg infections have been confirmed in several districts.

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Speaking, in Kigali, at the opening ceremony of the AfCFTA Business Forum dubbed Biashara Afrika 2024, the Africa CDC Director General said, “The decision is unfair especially for a country that is doing all that can be done to stop the disease.”

On October 8, Minister of Health Dr Sabin Nsanzimana clarified, in a post on X, that: “All cases reported are linked to the hospital cluster; no cases originating from the community.”

Thank you @HelenBranswell . All cases reported are linked to the hospital cluster ; no cases originating from the community.– Dr Sabin Nsanzimana (@nsanzimanasabin) October 8, 2024

Kaseya added that the decision by the US is not evidence based. He commended Rwanda’s Ministry of Health for the measures taken to control the outbreak saying that there is nothing more that can be done that Rwanda is not already doing.

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Kaseya also called for fast tracking of vaccine manufacturing on the continent.

“We are tired of panicking every time there is an outbreak because we have to beg for vaccines,” he said, adding that the continent needs to take the decision to start manufacturing vaccines.

Kaseya said that no effort will be spared to change the current outbreak status by end of October.