India issues advisory, warns against travel to parts of Africa as WHO declares Ebola outbreak global health emergency

India has advised its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa a global health emergency.

The WHO said on 17 May 2026 that the situation qualifies as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has also declared it a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), following the spread of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus in DRC and Uganda.

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According to a statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, health authorities are tightening surveillance at entry points. They have also been told to identify and manage travellers showing unexplained fever symptoms, especially those arriving from affected areas, and to discourage travel to regions where cases have been reported.

Countries bordering DRC and Uganda, including South Sudan, are also considered at higher risk of transmission, the statement said.

Ebola is a serious viral disease that spreads through direct contact with infected fluids. It has a high death rate. At present, there are no approved vaccines or specific treatments for the Bundibugyo strain.

India has not reported any case of this strain so far.

The government has said Indian citizens already in these countries, or planning to travel there, should strictly follow local health guidelines and take extra precautions.

The advisory comes as global health agencies step up monitoring of the outbreak to prevent further spread.