Press release
Ebola in the DRC: an underfunded crisis with long-lasting consequences
More than a month after it was officially declared on 15 May, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to spread. In Mongbwalu, Ituri province, Action Against Hunger teams are stepping up their response efforts and are warning of a lack of funding and resources allocated to the crisis.
Strengthening community engagement
Action Against Hunger has been present in Mongbwalu since the start of the crisis. “Sixteen staff members are currently deployed to support the health authorities,” explains Michele Torti, Action Against Hunger’s emergency response coordinator in the DRC.
Although tests are now available in Mongbwalu, enabling rapid diagnosis of patients, fear, refusal of treatment and misinformation are factors that are hindering the eradication of the virus. This is why Action Against Hunger is stepping up its response through community mobilization.
“We cannot eradicate the epidemic without the trust of the communities.”
To gain this trust, communities must first have a better understanding of the disease. To this end, Action Against Hunger is running an awareness campaign via radio broadcasts covering various topics such as the symptoms of Ebola, how to respond, protective measures, and safe and dignified burial practices.
At the same time, training health workers remains a priority:
“Health centres and community health workers are on the front line. To support them, we have trained nearly 180 health workers and community health workers in Mongbwalu on best practices in infection prevention and control (IPC). More than 50 qualified nurses have also been trained,” adds Michele Torti.
Among other things, these training sessions help to improve healthcare staff’s understanding of the epidemic, particularly its modes of transmission, prevention measures and how best to detect it.
Action Against Hunger distributes equipment for the prevention and management of infections and sets up triage areas in health centres.
“Since the start of the outbreak, we have sent around 9 tons of medical and WASH supplies to Mongbwalu. Just this week, a lorry carrying medical supplies, beds and WASH kits was dispatched to step-up our response in the area.” The organisation is also ensuring the continuity of care for acute malnutrition. “150 boxes of RUTF have also been delivered to support the area’s health system, which was already very fragile and vulnerable before this crisis.”
A crisis with lasting psychological impacts
Ebola is a particularly feared disease. The measures put in place to combat the disease, whilst necessary, can prove to be highly intrusive from a cultural perspective.
“Because bodies are contagious, funeral rites are prohibited. It is often difficult for bereaved families to grieve with dignity.”
Beyond the health emergency, the epidemic risks causing further trauma in communities already affected by insecurity and precarious living conditions, and may have lasting repercussions on the mental health and livelihoods of the families and communities affected.
In light of this situation, Action Against Hunger emphasises the importance of fully integrating mental health care into the response, whilst ensuring that essential non-Ebola health services are maintained.
Funding for the humanitarian response in the country remains, unfortunately, insufficient to meet needs. Currently, only 35 per cent of the Humanitarian Response Plan has been funded.
“The outbreak is likely to continued for the long term. It is crucial to ensure the continuity of essential healthcare, such as mental health care, in order to limit the scale of the humanitarian consequences,” concludes Michele Torti.