New Delhi : The Government of India has issued a travel advisory urging citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of the ongoing Ebola outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The WHO, under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005, on May 17, 2026, classified the Ebola situation in the DRC and Uganda as a global public health emergency amid concerns over the spread of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has also designated the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS).
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, neighbouring countries including South Sudan are considered at high risk of transmission due to their proximity to affected regions.
The WHO IHR Emergency Committee, in temporary recommendations issued on May 22, called on countries to strengthen surveillance at Points of Entry to identify travellers with unexplained febrile illnesses arriving from outbreak-hit regions. The agency also advised against travel to areas where the Bundibugyo virus has been detected.
“Government of India advises all Indian citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan until further notice,” the ministry said in its statement.
Indian citizens residing in or travelling to these countries have been asked to follow local public health guidance strictly and exercise heightened precautions.
Ebola Disease is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever caused by infection with the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. The disease carries a high mortality rate, and currently there are no approved vaccines or specific treatments available for this strain.
India has not reported any case of Ebola Disease caused by the Bundibugyo strain so far, the government clarified.
