Some prospective Namibian tourists may be worried. A global health emergency has been declared due to an Ebola outbreak in the Congo (DRC). How high is the risk of the virus spreading to Namibia? And of contracting it while on vacation there? The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Namibia considers the risk to be low.
First, it is important to understand how the virus is transmitted. Answer: Through bodily fluids (sweat, saliva, blood, vomit, urine, etc.) of a person who has contracted or died from Ebola.
The fluid must enter the body. This can happen through the mouth, nose, eyes or wounds in the skin. Unlike COVID-19 or influenza, Ebola viruses cannot be transmitted through the air.
Infected individuals without symptoms are apparently not yet contagious. In the early stages, those infected typically develop 'dry' symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and fatigue.
Only as the disease progresses do 'wet' symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and unexplained bleeding appear. Detailed information is available on a website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Next question is how to prevent its spread. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is the expert on this. On 17 May the WHO declared a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)". This is the second-highest level of alert, below pandemic status, as was the case with COVID-19 in 2020.
It triggers a series of measures to contain the spread. These include screening all travellers at the borders of affected and neighbouring countries for unexplained febrile illnesses. Anyone exhibiting Ebola symptoms is prohibited from leaving or entering a country.
In addition, contact tracing is being implemented to break chains of infection. This is much easier with Ebola than it was with COVID-19. However, this is not the case in the eastern part of the DRC, where civil war is raging.
Although neighbouring Uganda has also registered Ebola cases, the WHO is confident that border controls by neighbouring countries will contain the Ebola outbreak in the eastern DRC.
According to a statement from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), one Ebola patient and six suspected cases are in Europe. More precisely, they are in an isolation ward at the Charité hospital in Berlin. The patients are a missionary doctor from the USA and five contacts without suspicious symptoms.
And what about Namibia? The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs (MoHSS) announced on its Facebook page today that it has already taken extensive measures. No Ebola cases have been reported in Namibia far.
Namibian.org followed up with the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Namibia, which has been working closely with MoHSS since 2020. The focus of this collaboration is on disease surveillance, infection control, and training.
The RKI is also supporting MoHSS in Namibia's response to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC. In short: The RKI representative in Windhoek, Dr. Christian Winter, currently considers the risk of the virus spreading to Namibia to be low.
Namibian.org: What specific measures has MoHSS taken?
Dr. Winter: "The MoHSS is closely monitoring the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). There is ongoing communication between the MoHSS, the WHO, the Africa CDC [Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention] and other partners. The MoHSS is following the WHO's recommendations for unaffected and non-neighbouring countries.
Measures to raise awareness among border staff are being prepared. Namibia is well-prepared for the clinical treatment of patients with haemorrhagic fever.
As recently as December 2025, the MoHSS, together with the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), conducted a training course. This course covered not only Mpox but also how to treat patients with haemorrhagic fevers such as Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), Marburg virus, Ebola virus, etc., while adhering to the necessary infection control measures [see press release from the German Embassy]."
Namiban.org: How reliable is screening at border crossings in detecting infected individuals?
Dr. Winter: "The WHO recommends so-called exit screening, meaning screening when leaving an affected region or country. Entry screenings are very complex and usually not useful, especially if one's own country does not border an affected country.
It would be much more important to provide travellers with information, such as where they can report symptoms."
Namiban.org: How do you assess the risk of the Ebola virus spreading to Namibia, and why?
Dr. Winter: "I currently consider the risk of the Ebola virus spreading to Namibia to be low. The Ebola outbreak is currently confined primarily to the eastern part of the DRC. Zambia, which is very well-equipped to monitor infectious diseases and outbreaks, lies between Namibia and the DRC.
Nevertheless, the situation in the DRC is worrying and must continue to be closely monitored. If the situation worsens, further measures would need to be discussed and implemented."
Map of Ebola cases in eastern DRC and Uganda, as of 18 May 2026. Source: WHO
The Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC is caused by the Bundibugyo virus (see also the website of the Robert Koch Institute in Germany – in German only). It has been known since 2007 and has occurred less frequently than the Zaire variant. As of May 19, 2026, there were over 500 suspected cases and 130 deaths. 30 cases were laboratory-confirmed.
Den bislang größten Ebola-Ausbruch gab es laut Google KI-Assistent 2014 bis 2016 in Westafrika mit der Zaire-Variante. Die Bilanz: Rund 28.600 Infektionen und 11.300 Todesopfer. Betroffen waren vor allem Guinea, Liberia und Sierra Leone. Es gab jedoch auch Ebola-Fälle in Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Italien, Spanien, Großbritannien und den USA.
Namibia war nicht betroffen. Dennoch hatten damals einige Namibia-Urlauber ihre Reise storniert. Vor allem wohl auch deshalb, weil vielen Europäern nicht klar ist, dass Afrika laut Google KI-Assistent mit einer Fläche von 30,37 Mio. km² fast dreimal so groß ist wie Europa (ca. 10,18 km²).
Ebola virus under an electron microscope. Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.