Africa CDC urges US to revise Rwanda travel advisory

RWANDA—The Africa CDC has formally requested that the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US CDC reconsider the Level 3 travel advisory issued for Rwanda on October 7, 2024, due to the Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak.

The call was made in a letter addressed to Hon. Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Mandy Cohen, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC).

In the letter, Africa CDC Director General, H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, highlighted Rwanda’s significant progress in managing the outbreak.

The country reported its first case of Marburg on September 27, 2024, but has since taken swift and coordinated action to contain the virus and prevent its spread.

As of November 17, 2024, Rwanda has gone 18 days without reporting a new case of Marburg. All previously infected individuals have been successfully discharged, and rigorous monitoring systems are in place to ensure no further spread.

Furthermore, all 100% of contacts of infected individuals have completed their monitoring period, with no new cases arising from these contacts.

Rwanda’s success in controlling the outbreak is largely due to the efforts of its Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Africa CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other international partners.

Key measures included implementing nationwide surveillance systems, innovative contact tracing, and expanding treatment facilities to meet global health standards.

The country also launched comprehensive awareness campaigns to educate the public on prevention.

During the Africa CDC weekly media briefing, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwanda’s Minister of Health, shared that there have been no deaths from Marburg for more than a month, demonstrating the country’s progress. However, the country remains vigilant.

Surveillance efforts have expanded to include fruit bats, the suspected source of the outbreak, and all caves in Rwanda are being monitored.

So far, the data indicates that Rwanda’s Marburg outbreak originated from a single zoonotic spillover.

Of the 66 reported cases, 51 individuals have successfully recovered.

The case fatality rate stands at 22.7%, which is relatively lower than in previous outbreaks in the region.

This success is attributed to deploying new therapeutics, vaccines, and public health tools.

Recent evaluations by Africa CDC and WHO have confirmed that the risk of further transmission is low, with no reported cases outside of Rwanda or the United States.

Despite this, the travel advisory continues to impact Rwanda’s critical tourism and business sectors.

Africa CDC has urged the U.S. HHS and CDC to reassess the situation and update the travel advisory in consultation with international health agencies.

Dr. Kaseya emphasised that revising the advisory would recognize Rwanda’s public health achievements and support the country’s economic recovery.

He also reaffirmed the strong partnership between Africa CDC and the U.S. in advancing global health security.

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