Congo reopens Bunia airport as Ebola outbreak spreads

The Democratic Republic of Congo has reopened Bunia airport in Ituri province, the epicentre of the country’s ongoing Ebola outbreak, as authorities seek to restore access to essential supplies while continuing efforts to contain the disease.

The Transport Ministry announced that conditions were now in place for the “gradual and safe resumption” of air transport operations, allowing the airport to reopen immediately after weeks of restrictions.

The reopening comes as confirmed Ebola cases have risen to 321, including 48 deaths, according to the latest government figures. Health officials have reported infections across 15 of Ituri’s 36 health zones, with cases also detected in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and neighbouring Uganda.

Under the new measures, all passengers will undergo temperature screening before boarding and upon arrival. Travellers will also be required to wash their hands before boarding, while anyone with a fever will be barred from flying.

The government suspended passenger flights to Bunia last month after the first Ebola cases were confirmed in Ituri, the province hardest hit by the outbreak. Humanitarian and medical flights were allowed to continue, subject to government approval.

The decision to reopen the airport followed a visit by World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who said there were encouraging signs in the response to the outbreak, including five certified recoveries.

However, Tedros warned that authorities still needed to expand testing and treatment capacity and strengthen public confidence in health workers to bring the outbreak under control.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, was officially announced by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on May 15. The World Health Organization subsequently declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Health officials say the outbreak spread undetected for several weeks before it was identified, complicating containment efforts.

The International Rescue Committee warned that the outbreak could be significantly larger than official figures suggest. The aid agency said the virus may have been circulating for as long as three months before the first confirmed cases were reported in mid-May.

Authorities have intensified surveillance, testing and treatment efforts as they attempt to contain what has already become the country’s third-largest Ebola outbreak on record.

The government said reopening Bunia airport would help maintain access to medical supplies, humanitarian assistance and other essential services while continuing measures to prevent further transmission of the virus.