South Sudan was placed under United States travel restrictions despite reporting no Ebola infections or deaths linked to the current outbreak.
Africa’s leading health officials criticised the measures Thursday as funding for the continent’s growing Ebola response dramatically weakened within days.
The World Health Organization recently declared the rare Bundibugyo strain outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a global emergency.
Fresh figures from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention showed Congo recorded 1,077 suspected infections and 246 suspected deaths.
Uganda’s confirmed Ebola cases also rose from seven to eight, deepening fears of wider transmission across fragile regional health systems.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said donor pledges initially reached nearly $500 million during emergency discussions earlier this week.
That total later dropped to around $290 million after several contributors unexpectedly withdrew support, casting uncertainty over containment efforts.
“People are dying,” Kaseya said during a virtual press conference, condemning donors who reversed commitments as infections continued spreading.
His remarks reflected growing frustration among African health authorities battling shortages, mistrust, and communities scarred by previous Ebola outbreaks.
Kaseya questioned why wealthy global health institutions retained billions of dollars while emergency Ebola operations struggled for essential financing.
He also challenged Washington’s decision to impose temporary entry restrictions on travellers from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan.
The United States restrictions apply even to green card holders who recently visited the affected countries within the past 21 days.
Kaseya said Africa could not stop the outbreak without resources and warned travel restrictions risked deepening isolation during a public health crisis.
Ebola remains a severe and frequently fatal disease spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces.
