KAMPALA, June 8 (Reuters) - The director-general of the World Health Organization said on Monday ‌that Uganda should reconsider its decision ‌to close its border with Democratic Republic of Congo because ​of an Ebola outbreak.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the comments during a visit to an Ebola isolation unit at a hospital in ‌Uganda's capital, Kampala.

In ⁠other remarks, Tedros praised the East African country for its Ebola response, ⁠calling it prompt and capable.

But asked by a Reuters reporter about Uganda's decision late last ​month to ​temporarily shut its ​border with Congo to ‌try to limit the spread of Ebola, he said blanket travel restrictions don't work, "so I hope they (Uganda's authorities) reconsider".

The WHO has declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of ‌Ebola a public health emergency ​of international concern.

The epicentre ​is in Congo's ​Ituri province, where Africa's top public ‌health agency says there ​have been ​515 confirmed cases out of Congo's total of 544.

Uganda has reported 19 confirmed Ebola ​cases, mostly people ‌who entered the country from Congo.

(Reporting by ​Elias Biryabarema;Additional reporting by Vincent Mumo ​Nzilani;Editing by Alexander Winning)