The World Health Organization (WHO) has advised Kenya against shutting its borders after reporting its first Ebola case, saying such a move would do little to stop the virus.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

While addressing the media on the global health situation on Wednesday, October 7, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the global health body does not support blanket travel or trade restrictions as a response to the confirmed case.

According to Tedros, closing borders to limit movement can be a less effective move than practical screenings at the various designated entry points of the country.

He revealed that he was in talks with the Cabinet Secretary of Health, Aden Duale, and advised him of the same.

📌 What You Need to Know

“Yesterday, I spoke to the Cabinet Secretary to discuss the case and the measures that Kenya had taken to prepare for an event like this,” DG Tedros stated.

Tedros also made it clear that countries that come forward quickly about a case should not end up paying for their honesty through bans and isolation.

Adding, “WHO advises against blanket travel or trade restrictions which are less effective than screening, contact tracing, and other measures. Transparency should be rewarded, not punished.”

While advising against Kenya closing borders, he still maintained that screening, contact tracing, and other public health measures remain the tools that actually work when a country is dealing with a case like this one.

Kenya confirmed its first Bundibugyo Ebola case on October 3, involving a Kenyan man who travelled from the DRC through Kampala, Uganda, before arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The patient was isolated at Nairobi Hospital before dying while receiving treatment. 10 people remain in quarantine, and officials trace 57 additional contacts, including passengers and crew.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke