Catholic agencies help communities face fear, treat patients and contain a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
By Silas Isenjia, ACI Africa
More than three months into the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Trócaire is warning that the crisis is becoming “eerily reminiscent of the COVID pandemic,” as communities continue to face fear, disruption and the mounting challenges of containing the deadly disease.
In a report that ACI Africa obtained on Monday, August 24, the overseas development agency of the Catholic Bishops of Ireland says that fear of Ebola has gripped DRC’s Ituri Province since the outbreak was declared in May this year.
“Ebola is eerily reminiscent of the COVID pandemic, except this virus is far more deadly: the fatality rate of this outbreak is in fact increasing, rising from about 20 per cent in early June to roughly 46% at the moment,” Trócaire says.
The Irish entity has consequently backed a United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) report published on August 17, which said that the outbreak is the deadliest in the country’s history, having already killed at least 2,325 people in just three months.
“Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province and home to Trócaire’s operations in DRC, is at the centre of what is fast becoming the deadliest outbreak of Ebola in history,” Trócaire says, echoing the concerns of Abbey Chrysante, Justice and Peace Coordinator with Caritas Bunia, who said, “We live in fear. People are living in fear of everyone. We’re afraid of physical contact; people are isolating in their homes.”
Chrysante also said that “parents are keeping their children inside their compounds; they have not gone out since school ended.” He continued, “Hearses are constantly driving through the city. Their flashing lights terrify people, they think ‘there is another person who has died.”
Caritas responds to the Ebola outbreak
The recent Ebola outbreak in the DRC was first declared in May 2026, claiming the lives of close to 2,500 people, according to an August 21 BBC report. The country is currently distributing a vaccine against the virus, and public health officials have declared it the deadliest outbreak in the country’s history.
In the report, Trócaire says that with its support and funding from the Irish government, Caritas has established an information and testing kiosk in the centre of Bunia.
From the kiosk, Caritas staff provide people with information about Ebola, explaining how the virus spreads and how they can protect themselves.
However, efforts to contain the outbreak are taking place amid a longstanding humanitarian crisis in Ituri.
Years of conflict have forced more than one million people from their homes, with many living in displacement camps and others travelling for work, creating conditions that increase the risk of the virus spreading.
At the same time, severe cuts in international aid have weakened health systems, affecting detection, prevention and response efforts at a critical time.
Local humanitarian actors, however, remain at the centre of the Ebola response. Trócaire officials say these actors are “shockingly underfunded and under-resourced,” as they fight not only the virus but also misinformation and the distress of families whose loved ones have died from Ebola and who are unable to conduct traditional burial rituals because of the infectious nature of the bodies.
Medical care and health education to contain the virus
The report identifies medical and community response as the two key pillars of the Ebola response. Drawing on its experience during the 2018 Ebola outbreak in DRC and the 2014 outbreak in West Africa, Trócaire is focusing on community-based measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
These measures include educating communities on how to prevent transmission and strengthening infection prevention and control in health facilities, where people face a high risk of exposure. The efforts include constructing new latrines, providing clean water for sanitation, and supplying personal protective equipment, including gloves and face masks, to health workers.
Alongside its partners, Trócaire is also supporting people who are required to quarantine by providing their families with food, hygiene kits and psychosocial support during what it describes as an “incredibly difficult period.”
The report also highlights the psychological toll on those responding to the outbreak, noting that frontline workers face the danger and fear of contracting Ebola while having to report to work each day.
Joelle Adessine, a project officer with SOFEPADI, a Congolese nongovernmental organization responding to Ebola on multiple levels, said the situation was having a significant impact on the mental health of frontline workers.
Psychological support for medical and healthcare personnel
With support from Trócaire, Adessine’s team is providing mental health and psychosocial support to frontline staff. She said witnessing people die every day, combined with the pressure of the outbreak, was causing psychological distress.
“Some frontline workers have contracted Ebola, while others are in isolation. They are affected by what happens to their colleagues and they also face excessive workloads, fear of affecting loved ones, anxiety, demotivation and burnout,” she said.
“All this causes psychological distress and creates a need for a safe space where they can talk and be heard,” Adessine said.
To address these challenges, SOFEPADI has introduced group therapy sessions where frontline staff can express their emotional distress and share their experiences.
According to Adessine, the sessions are intended to support the emotional well-being of frontline workers, strengthen their personal resilience and help them feel valued.
Featured image: A health worker takes the temperature of a woman passing through the Kanyaruchinya checkpoint into the city of Goma, Congo May 20, 2026, as authorities and aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain. (OSV News/Arlette Bashizi, Reuters)
