The government is taking action to prevent Ebola. The Council of Ministers on August 4 approved a verbal communication on strengthening health control measures at borders. Ivato airport is a potential entry point for Ebola into the country. Madagascar could restrict access to its borders for people coming from the Ebola epidemic zone. The Prime Minister's office is examining a draft decision aimed at preventing the introduction and spread of the virus in the country. "We have proposed to ban access to people from countries affected by the disease, such as Uganda or the Democratic Republic of Congo, at our entry points. This is one of the measures we are considering because Ebola circulation is causing enormous casualties," said an official from the Ministry of Public Health yesterday. Under this proposal, if people from these countries must enter Madagascar, such as students or missionaries from the United Nations system, they will be isolated for twenty-one days. The locations where they will be quarantined have not yet been defined. "An emergency meeting will be organized to determine the location of these isolation facilities. It will probably be a hotel near the airports," the source continued. This proposal also provides for missions to these countries with high Ebola spread to be prohibited. The government's absolute priority is preventing the importation of this disease. "It would be dangerous if this disease arrived here. Take the example of Mpox. This disease has been circulating among us for nearly ten months, but there are still people who don't believe in its existence and neglect prevention measures," regretted another source.
Simulation
The Ebola epidemic is highly fatal. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where it is progressing at an "unprecedented rate," the mortality rate is close to 50%. "As of July 30, 2026, there were 3,605 confirmed cases, including 1,587 deaths, corresponding to a crude case fatality rate of 44%," according to a World Health Organization (WHO) publication from August 1. In Madagascar, the spread of the virus, if introduced, could be very rapid due to poor hygiene and overcrowding, particularly in public transport. The virus is transmitted either through contact with blood or body fluids of an infected person, or through contact with contaminated objects or surfaces. Even after death, bodies remain contagious for several days. Yet in Madagascar, funeral customs are very important, to the point that some families have exhumed their relatives who died of Covid-19 to return them to the family tomb. The Ministry of Public Health says it is ready for a possible arrival of the virus in Madagascar. Simulation exercises have already been carried out to test the management of a suspected case at the airport. But what about the capacity of health facilities, the availability of protective equipment and care, and the number of qualified personnel, in case the virus circulates on the territory? During the Covid-19 period, health facilities were severely overwhelmed.