The Trump administration is setting up a quarantine and treatment facility in Kenya for Americans exposed to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a decision that has prompted sharp criticism from public health leaders who argue the policy undermines outbreak containment efforts.
The White House confirmed the move Wednesday, stating that the center will allow Americans to "quickly get out of DRC and quarantine without the risks of a lengthy transport back to the US." The facility will handle both quarantine of exposed individuals and treatment of those who contract the virus, with cases evaluated for "forward transport for more advanced care as appropriate."
The White House did not specify whether additional transport would go to the United States or Europe, where some American cases have already been sent. Officials also remained unclear on whether Americans could choose to return to the US instead of going to Kenya.
The decision comes as the administration has barred green card holders who recently traveled to the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan from re-entering the country. Other recent travelers to those nations also face entry restrictions.
Epidemiologists argue the policy will backfire. Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health, called the approach "shocking" and raised concerns that preventing Americans from returning home could drive cases underground by discouraging people from disclosing exposure.
"Without adequate plans for the safe quarantine of exposed individuals and prompt isolation of those who become infected, I fear these facilities could amplify the spread of the virus," Nuzzo said.
Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and a veteran of previous Ebola responses, framed the policy as a recruitment killer for health workers considering deployment to outbreak zones. "That's basically telling any American health worker who might go and work on the effort to contain this outbreak that if they get sick, they can't come home," Konyndyk said. "It disincentivizes people from going."
Konyndyk noted that during the 2014-2015 Ebola crisis, officials actively resisted imposing travel bans, recognizing that such restrictions would ultimately hamper containment work. "We fought really hard not to put a travel ban in place because we knew that would ultimately be counterproductive to the goal of ending the outbreak," he said.
Health experts stress that the risks of transporting asymptomatic individuals are minimal. The US has decades of experience safely evacuating people exposed to or infected with highly contagious pathogens, including Ebola. American medical infrastructure and biocontainment units, publicly funded and among the world's best equipped, have successfully treated prior cases.
The Kenya facility announcement signals a significant shift in how the US government is approaching American involvement in outbreak response. Previous responders understood they could return home if they fell ill. That assurance, experts warn, may no longer exist for Americans considering deployment to the current crisis.
Author James Rodriguez: "Keeping Americans from coming home for treatment isn't disease control, it's shooting yourself in the foot."
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