The Ugandan government has stated that they have no knowledge of any newly established Ebola treatment centers in their country, despite claims from the White House under Donald Trump’s administration.
In a recent announcement, the US Department of State revealed plans to fund up to 50 treatment clinics in Ebola-affected areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, where the current outbreak has resulted in 131 deaths and over 530 infections.
However, the Ugandan Ministry of Health refuted these claims, asserting that no treatment centers have been set up and emphasizing that the country remains safe. The ministry clarified that the two reported Ebola cases were individuals who had traveled from the DRC.
Taking to Twitter, the ministry stated, “The Ministry of Health was not involved in establishing the mentioned treatment centers and is unaware of their locations within the country. Uganda has only recorded two imported Ebola cases, with no local transmissions.”
Questions have arisen regarding the accuracy of the initial statement, which highlighted $23 million in foreign assistance for the DRC and Uganda. A subsequent update confirmed the US’s commitment to supporting the response by funding treatment clinics and frontline operations in affected regions.
Meanwhile, the White House has imposed restrictions on travelers who have recently visited either country, permitting entry only through enhanced screening at Washington Dulles International Airport. In a recent incident, an Air France flight destined for Detroit was diverted to Montreal after a passenger from the Congo boarded mistakenly in Paris due to the travel restrictions.
US Customs and Border Protection took swift action to prevent the flight from landing in Detroit, redirecting it to Montreal in compliance with the entry restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola. Air France stated that the passenger was denied entry into the US due to regulations requiring travelers from certain countries to enter only through Washington DC.
