As Maun International Airport is one of the busiest, receiving numbers of visitors on a daily basis, health authorities in North West have since intensified surveillance measures at the facility to detect possible Ebola cases.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared the 2026 Ebola disease outbreak a public health emergency following confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda in May.
As of May 27, 2026, 129 confirmed cases, 1,077 suspected cases, and 246 suspected deaths from the outbreak have been reported in DR Congo and Uganda.
France also reported its first confirmed Ebola case after an aid worker contracted the virus while returning from a humanitarian mission in the DRC.
Although Botswana has not registered any Ebola cases, the Ministry of Health and other authorities are on high alert and continue to monitor the situation.
North West District Council’s Deputy Secretary for Primary Health Care, Dr Sandra Maripe, indicated that they have since started screening at all ports of entry to reduce the risk of Ebola disease entering and spreading in the country.
As a district being home to one of the busiest airports (Maun International Airport), Dr Maripe noted that they have also enforced temporary Ebola border measures, including screening, and conducting medical follow-ups for arriving travellers.
According to her, since the commencement of the screening process in May, they have been able to screen a total of 5,707 people arriving at the airport. Out of this number, Dr Maripe revealed that 14 of them were coming from affected countries.
She said this therefore shows that there are possible risks of the disease entering the country through the airport, hence they have intensive prevention measures.
Dr Maripe stated that as Ebola’s incubation period—the time between infection and the onset of symptoms—is within up to 21 days, they are also conducting rigorous follow-ups for those arriving.
She explained that Ebola symptoms are nonspecific and can be mistaken for other common infectious illnesses. According to her, early symptoms include fever, severe headache, fatigue, muscle pain, sore throat, and vomiting. “When the situation gets worse, that is when the patient will also start to bleed,” added the deputy council secretary.
The Ministry of Health has since assured the public that they are doing everything possible to protect the population and prevent Ebola from entering Botswana.
The public is also advised to be on alert, know the signs, symptoms, and take the necessary prevention measures that will ensure that Ebola is kept at bay.
Though WHO has openly not recommended any bans or restrictions on international travel, local health authorities have advised the public to temporarily suspend their travel arrangements to the affected countries until such a time when the situation has improved.
