Ugandans, many of them Christians, should at this time reflect on the episode of Jesus healing ten lepers, nine of whom did not think the healer deserved any thanks. That reflection can save them the stress caused by a largely thankless international community that is repeatedly kicking Ugandans in the teeth as their country shields the world from the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo.
When Ebola broke out last month, Uganda, which is only one of the nine countries bordering DR Congo, immediately sealed its border with the source country. The mighty countries on the other side of the Atlantic should have used their huge resources and logistics to secure Congo’s tenth border – its coastline measuring a mere 37 kilometres but through which many sailors can carry Ebola — which can last six months in the recovered patient’s semen — to the rest of the world. Instead the powerful Westerners just slapped a travel ban on Ugandans.
