DR Congo: More people seeking treatment for Ebola as trust grows

News DR Congo: More people seeking treatment for Ebola as trust grows Health workers disinfects an ambulance at Ebola Treatment Centre at Bunia General Hospital in Ituri, DR Congo, 22 July 2026.   -   Copyright © africanews Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. By Rédaction Africanews with AP Last updated: 25/07 - 08:36 Democratic Republic Of Congo In the town of Bunia in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province – the epicentre of the current Ebola outbreak – community trust appears to be growing. Medical staff say more people are coming to receive treatment for the deadly haemorrhagic virus, making their care easier. At least a dozen facilities have been attacked by ordinary people, largely due to fear, misinformation and deep mistrust of outside authorities. Most of the 1,000 death from Ebola since mid-May have occurred in communities, not in treatment centres. Dr Job Kkabagambe Tibasima is the deputy supervisor for the Ministry of Health at the Ebola Treatment Centre at the Evangelical Medical Centre in Bunia. He says this is a positive shift in the relationship between communities and health service providers. "The patient who comes to the centre receives their treatment properly and leaves without incident, and at the end, they even thank the medical team,” he says. Despite the growing trust, the Ebola outbreak continues to outpace the response. More than 2,500 cases have been reported so far, but as insecurity and active conflict continue to limit access to affected areas, it is estimated that the actual number could be more than twice as high. Although contact tracing now reaches around 80 per cent of identified contacts, teams still cannot reach every community, diagnose every sick person, or deploy response teams wherever they are needed. Priorities remain reducing transmission in Ituri by strengthening surveillance, safe and dignified burials, clinical management, and community engagement. At the same time, there is a need to rapidly building response capacity in newly affected provinces before transmission becomes established. The World Health Organization says this faces technical challenges, but also requires political action towards a ceasefire to improve humanitarian access and allow the urgent scale-up of operations. It adds that people in DRC cannot face this outbreak alone. They need sustained support from the international community and, above all, they need peace. You may also like 01:14 Spain PM Pedro Sanchez rules out Moroccan role in Ceuta migrant surge 1 minute ago 01:10 Algeria moves to restore death penalty for deliberate forest fires 20 minutes ago 00:56 Notting Hill Carnival kicks off in a burst of colour and Caribbean tradition 2 hours ago From the same country 00:54 DRC opposition rejects President Tshisekedi's offer of national dialogue 29/08 - 16:53 01:36 UN chief says additional $1.1 billion urgently needed to fight Ebola outbreak 28/08 - 14:00 Mission to verify DRC-M23 ceasefire gets underway in South Kivu 24/08 - 18:28 View more Share More About Ebola virus Ituri Armed conflicts World Health Organization treatment civilian deaths You may also like 01:14 Spain PM Pedro Sanchez rules out Moroccan role in Ceuta migrant surge 1 minute ago 01:10 Algeria moves to restore death penalty for deliberate forest fires 20 minutes ago 00:56 Notting Hill Carnival kicks off in a burst of colour and Caribbean tradition 2 hours ago From the same country 00:54 DRC opposition rejects President Tshisekedi's offer of national dialogue 29/08 - 16:53 01:36 UN chief says additional $1.1 billion urgently needed to fight Ebola outbreak 28/08 - 14:00 Mission to verify DRC-M23 ceasefire gets underway in South Kivu 24/08 - 18:28 On the same subject NEWS 01:13 DRC launches Ebola vaccination campaign as outbreak continues to spread 30/08 - 10:37 NEWS 02:00 UN and partners strengthen Ebola preparedness in South Sudan border town 28/08 - 16:04 NEWS 01:37 DR Congo begins Ebola vaccinations as deadliest outbreak on record spreads 28/08 - 10:49 NEWS 01:57 Fear and mistrust among communities undermine Ebola response efforts 27/08 - 12:37 NEWS 01:08 WHO confirms Uganda Ebola-free, as virus continues to spread in DRC 27/08 - 09:14 SCI TECH 02:43 Senegalese company produces first Africa-made treatment for sickle cell disease 26/08 - 22:04 More stories 01:25 General Abdourahamane Tchiani Calm returns to Niger's capital one day after failed army mutiny 7 hours ago 01:02 Coup Vote counting underway in Guinea-Bissau referendum that could expand presidential powers 6 hours ago 00:56 United Kingdom Notting Hill Carnival kicks off in a burst of colour and Caribbean tradition 2 hours ago