As confirmed deaths from Ebola reach more than 3,000 in DRC, Concern further ramps up response

Concern has adapted its current programming to include Ebola prevention and preparedness activities to try and limit the spread of the virus. More than 70,000 people have been reached through our Ebola awareness activities, with information on how to protect themselves from the virus.

The virus is ‘growing exponentially’ in the north and east of the country according to the World Health Organisation, and the spread of infections now covers an area larger than France. Six provinces are impacted: Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Bas Uélé. 

“It is three months since the World Health Organisation announced DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak, with this one on course to be the deadliest yet. For the Congolese people this is one crisis on top of many others, not least being forced from their homes due to conflict. Neither the outbreak, nor the conflict, show any signs of slowing, both exacerbating basic yet essential needs,” said David Jones, Concern’s DRC Country Director.  

Transmission rates are higher than the rate observed during the Ebola outbreaks in West Africa in 2014 to 2016, and previously in DRC from 2018 to 2020. The fatality rate among confirmed cases is 48.6% as of 30th August.

“Distrust in the healthcare system and a reluctance to seek treatment for suspected Ebola cases is impacting its containment. Working with communities, communicating clearly and honestly with them, listening to them and local leaders is essential in this response, as is ensuring people have the practical resources to protect themselves from the outbreak. 

"Access to water, basic sanitation through toilets, and hygiene kits including soap and buckets are just three of the ways Concern is offering support. Concern has strong relationships with the communities it serves, from years of working in the areas now affected, and we are exceptionally well placed to respond effectively as a result.”

Concern has been supporting communities since the outbreak began. Our response is focusing on: 

• Informing communities about the disease, its symptoms, how it spreads and how to protect themselves;
• Providing communities with the means to prevent the spread of Ebola, including constructing and rehabilitating boreholes so that people have access to clean water, building emergency latrines and showers, and training community leaders on prevention, identification, and referral.
• Supporting health clinics by distributing Infection Prevention and Control kits to healthcare staff, supplying handwashing / hygiene kits, and installing handwashing stations.

To date, 32 health workers have been trained in areas such as infection prevention and control standards and protocols, hand hygiene in healthcare settings, and waste management. 10 handwashing stations have been completed, with Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) kits provided to four health facilities to protect healthcare staff and patients from the spread of the disease, while in two health facilities minor rehabilitation of water infrastructure is ongoing. 

In zones that have not had any Ebola cases, prevention and protection is essential. In Kirotshe, 15 kilometres from the frontline of active conflict, Concern is providing public handwashing stations, hygiene and sanitation kits as well as rehabilitating water sources. That’s alongside cash distributions to people forced from their homes due to fighting, so they can meet their basic needs, including feeding their families and replacing essentials they had to leave behind when fleeing their homes.

Humanitarian crises are growing in frequency, scale, and duration, affecting the lives of millions of people worldwide. That’s why we need your support to help us be always ready, always there for what’s next. Give to the Concern Worldwide Emergency Fund Today.