Why the latest Ebola outbreak should not stop you from visiting East Africa?

There is no doubt that vacation and business travelers in East Africa are closely following the evolution of the Ebola outbreak in the region.

The current epidemic in Uganda – the second largest epidemic ever recorded – has recently spread to Uganda and has already registered nearly 2,500 cases and more than 1,665 deaths. The World Health Organization has just declared Ebola a "public health emergency of international concern," while neighboring countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda are on the alert, with the possibility that the disease crosses their borders.

When the Ebola virus appeared in West Africa between 2013 and 2016, it scared many tourists and, despite the great distance, devastated tourism in East African countries too, even though the Ebola epidemic at that time proved to be closer to Madrid the continent. This has also affected tourism in South Africa, even though the country is even further away.

Considering that in April, an American tourist was abducted from a Ugandan national park (which must be released three days later) and that Kenya has experienced a succession of terrorist incidents in recent years, inevitably those of the tourism in East Africa who fear to raise the trust of visitors.

It would be a shame if it was the case. With respect to the likelihood of contracting the Ebola virus, being kidnapped or involved in a terrorist attack in the region, we tend to misjudge the risks of traveling abroad.

At present, the number of people who die from measles in the DRC is greater than the Ebola virus, and the chances that a vacationer or business visitor comes into contact with the virus are negligible. The UK National Health Service indicates that the risk to travelers is "extremely low".

This precise sentence that appears every time one needs to badure a person who fears to fly – that the journey to the airport is statistically much more dangerous than the flight itself – is quite true.

It would also be very unfortunate to avoid these countries simply because they have so much to offer the visitor. I traveled to East Africa for three decades and I felt completely safe for most of that time.

Rwanda, for example, is an ideal destination for a new visitor to Africa. In many ways, it has an excellent infrastructure (its roads are better than the UK, I have often thought), it is very safe and its capital even has flawless boulevards. Not to mention the fact that it is one of three countries where you can see mountain gorillas in the wild.

You can also see mountain gorillas in Uganda and a wide range of wild animals, including Big Five (lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalo, elephants) and more than 1,000 species of birds, as well as than lions climbing trees and the Nile crocodile. It is a very diverse region ranging from snowy Rwenzori mountains to the largest lake in Africa, the Victoria. It has the majestic Nile River as well as tropical forests, meadows and volcanoes.

Kenya has fantastic safaris and beaches, and the cities of Mombasa and Lamu are culturally and historically rich.

Similarly, Tanzania is a great option. It has the largest concentration and diversity of animals in Africa, the highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro, as well as the Ngorongoro crater, one of the wildest in the world.

For the most enduring, when the Foreign Office's security advisories allow, the DRC offers beautiful scenery, mountain gorillas and the opportunity to camp at the edge of a bubbling volcanic lava lake, experience that should beat the most travel stories in the pub.

The most important risks during a trip to sub-Saharan Africa are related to road accidents and malaria, and you can do a lot to reduce the risks, for example by avoiding traveling at night and choosing a driver and a driver. vehicle with which you feel safe. in the first case, take anti-malarial tablets, sleep under a mosquito net and use a decent insect repellent in the second.

Of course, you have to be discerning when you're there – do not show clues of wealth or go to the pub in gloomy parts of the city at midnight, etc.

One day, I discussed with a pilot from Botswana the many risks perceived by Europeans as being present in Africa. Indeed, he told me that he had grown up in the Rhodesian Bush War (or Zimbabwe Liberation War) in his childhood and that he had had to carry a rifle throughout his childhood. In addition to the ever-present threat of deadly spiders and snakes and dramatic tropical diseases, I suggested that it was a miracle that he was still alive.

"But you just told me that you live on a five-lane highway, a road where you saw a man crushed and killed a month ago," he said. "And you live in London, what I read is a hotbed of stabbing and gunshots." He was clearly as perplexed that I was still standing when I had survived.

Trying to badess the dangers of traveling to a particular place poses a problem: Often, what you fear is not what you should worry about.

For example, the Chernobyl sightseeing tours sparked renewed interest after the recent broadcast of the superb HBO television series about the 1986 nuclear disaster. You might be worried about the amount of radiation you could absorb while traveling. However, as long as you go with a reputable travel agency, respect the main trails and follow the advice given, you will not encounter any problem. Indeed, you are exposed to more radiation during a long-haul flight than during a visit to Chernobyl. The biggest danger lies in the huge holes in the floors of damaged buildings that no one could fall into.

Given all of the above, if I were booked or considering a trip to East Africa, I would not come back twice before experiencing an Ebola outbreak. I hope that the thousands of visitors who plan to go in the next few months will not change their plans and threaten a tourism industry that is so important in the region.