DRC Ebola response rebuilds trust, protects families

In Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo, health workers are seeing success in containing the country’s deadliest Ebola outbreak by focusing on rebuilding trust with communities.

The outbreak, the 17th in the DRC, prompted increased home visits and public awareness campaigns in areas like Rwampara to encourage people to seek medical care. Initially, residents attributed illness to common diseases or poisoning, but mounting deaths convinced many to utilize health services.

Health organizations such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UNICEF are working to support the response. UNFPA staff are engaging communities to share accurate information and counter misinformation, while UNICEF has established nurseries near Ebola treatment centers to care for children whose parents are patients. These nurseries currently care for at least 1,900 children separated from their families during the epidemic.

Women are particularly vulnerable to Ebola due to their roles in caring for the sick and participating in funerals. The disruption caused by the outbreak led to a decline in essential maternal healthcare services, and a rise in maternal deaths, from an average of three per week to nearly five in Bunia.

Survivors like Sarah are now working to support others, having lost family members to the virus and relying on the nursery for care of her newborn while she received treatment. Despite improvements in Bunia, the situation remains severe in other areas, like the Beni-Butembo region of North Kivu, due to the presence of armed groups and a lack of funding.