Congolese traders banned as Adjumani tightens Ebola controls

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The Adjumani district Ebola task force committee has banned Congolese hawkers from operating within the district, citing concerns that their movement could increase the risk of Ebola transmission amid the ongoing outbreak response.

The decision was reached during a task force meeting convened to strengthen preventive measures in the district, which has been classified as high risk due to its porous border points with neighbouring countries.

According to Richard Atepo, the district health inspector of Adjumani, the movement patterns of Congolese hawkers make monitoring difficult, particularly as they frequently cross borders to restock goods through unofficial entry points, increasing the risk of disease transmission.

"The major challenge we are seeing now is the adherence to standard operating procedures at marketplaces without demarcation. We encourage the Congolese to avoid moving around for the meantime," the health inspector emphasised.

Deputy resident district commissioner of Adjumani, Emmanuel Okware, said the committee resolved to impose an immediate ban on hawking activities by Congolese nationals as a preventive measure.

"We have so many hawkers in the district who are of Congolese origin; we believe that they still have a way in which they access home, so the committee has resolved an immediate ban on all their activities," said Okware.

The committee further stressed the need for strict enforcement of standard operating procedures at taxi parks and markets to curb the spread of the virus.

Adjumani district has recorded one suspected Ebola case since the outbreak was declared, which later tested negative.