The Central African Republic (CAR) has intensified border controls amid concerns over the spread of Ebola from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history continues to claim lives. The CAR government has implemented daily health screenings of travellers crossing the Oubangui River, the natural boundary between the two nations.

Since the outbreak began, the DRC has reported approximately 10,000 cases, with nearly 5,000 deaths, primarily concentrated in provinces bordering the CAR. The porous and largely unmonitored frontier, which extends over 1,500 kilometres (930 miles), has heightened fears of cross-border transmission.

At the M’Poko Bac pier near the CAR capital Bangui, officials conduct systematic health checks on individuals arriving by canoe from the DRC. Travellers are directed to hand-washing stations, given information on the outbreak, and then undergo temperature screenings and registration. Madiana Bagalama, responsible for health screenings at the site, described the process as thorough, with passengers disembarking one by one under close supervision.

“The majority of Ebola cases are in the DRC’s border regions,” said Dr. Valentin Nebanga, a departmental head at the CAR Ministry of Health. “We have teams from various agencies including health workers, Customs, Civil Protection, and internal security conducting screenings on all passengers, both arriving and departing. They take temperatures and collect information using standardized forms.”

Despite the risks, economic activity along the Oubangui River remains robust. Local fishermen, canoe operators, and traders rely heavily on the waterway for their livelihoods. Neige, a fisherman and mother of three, expressed worry about potential exposure to the virus. “If Ebola reaches here, those of us working by the river will be the first victims,” she said, calling for stronger preventive measures from health authorities.

Similarly, Foxy Yeti Nzapa, a 25-year-old canoe operator who ferries passengers between the two countries, voiced concerns about the dangers posed by unprotected contact with travellers. With limited employment opportunities in the CAR, Foxy depends on this work for income but fears infection due to frequent close interaction with individuals arriving from the DRC. “People sometimes die of Ebola on the other side, and we could catch it. We need better protection,” he said.

While the outbreak remains largely confined to the DRC, Ebola has also been detected in other African countries, including Kenya and Nigeria, underscoring the challenge of containing the virus in the region. The virus, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids and causes severe hemorrhagic fever, has claimed more than 15,000 lives in Africa over the past five decades.

CAR authorities aim to prevent any spillover of the disease through coordinated border health measures, but challenges persist due to the extensive, remote, and often informal nature of crossings along the shared border.