Africa CDC urges US to reassess travel advisory on Rwanda

Addis Ababa (The Uttam Hindu): The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) called on the US to reassess its Level 3 travel advisory for Rwanda issued in response to the Marburg virus disease outbreak in the country. The Africa CDC, in a statement released Monday, said it has formally urged the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reassess and lift the travel advisory issued on October 7, which cautioned its citizens to "reconsider travel" to Rwanda.

According to the statement, Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa CDC, addressed the matter in a letter to US officials, highlighting Rwanda's progress in managing and containing the outbreak. "Recent evaluations by Africa CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledge Rwanda's progress. They confirm that the risk of further Marburg virus disease transmission is low, with no reported cases outside Rwanda or in the United States," the Africa CDC said. It noted the travel advisory has had a substantial impact on Rwanda's tourism and business sectors, both of which are critical to its economy.

"Africa CDC has urged the HHS and CDC to assess the situation on the ground, in collaboration with international health agencies, and update the travel advisory to reflect the current epidemiological context," it said, emphasising that revising the advisory would recognize Rwanda's public health achievements while supporting its economic recovery. As of Sunday, it had been 18 days since Rwanda reported its last case of Marburg virus disease, according to Africa CDC data. All previously infected patients have been successfully discharged, with robust monitoring and community follow-up systems in place.

The Africa CDC credited Rwanda's success to the swift and coordinated efforts led by the country's Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Africa CDC, the WHO and international partners. Rwanda declared the presence of Marburg virus disease on September 27. The Africa CDC said since the first cases were detected, the country "has worked tirelessly to contain the virus and prevent its spread both within Rwanda and across Africa."