Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Jun 10: The Trump administration has urged European countries to strengthen travel restrictions on people arriving from Ebola-affected regions in Africa, warning that inadequate measures could lead to tighter US regulations on travel from Europe.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised the issue during a phone conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday, according to the US State Department.

The two leaders discussed coordination and response efforts related to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

"The department's highest priority and focus remain protecting the health of the American people and preventing this Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores," the State Department said in a statement.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington believes the international community must do more to contain the outbreak and indicated that trans-Atlantic travel could be affected if stronger action is not taken.

According to the official, the United States is seeking greater financial contributions from partners and the implementation of what it described as "commonsense restrictions" on travel from affected regions.

The warning comes as the FIFA World Cup gets underway this week in North America, with the United States hosting the majority of matches during the nearly six-week tournament.

The Trump administration has already barred entry to travellers who have been in Ebola-affected countries within the previous three weeks and has introduced quarantine procedures for US citizens returning from those areas.

Officials note that while direct air links between Africa and the United States are relatively limited, there are more than 300 direct daily flights between Europe and the United States, raising concerns about potential transmission routes.

The United States says it has contributed more than $200 million towards efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda since it was confirmed last month.

Earlier on Tuesday, the European Union announced an additional 16.5 million euros in Ebola response funding, on top of the 15 million euros it had already committed last month.

The developments have also reignited debate in Washington over the US response to global health emergencies.

During recent congressional hearings, Democratic lawmakers criticised the administration over the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), arguing that the move could weaken international outbreak response capabilities.

Rubio rejected those concerns, stating that disease-monitoring and early-detection programmes had been incorporated into broader health agreements with African nations and maintained that the US response to the outbreak had been swift.

The Ebola outbreak continues to draw international attention as health authorities work to prevent its spread beyond the affected regions in Central and East Africa.