With thanks to HIFA member Margaret Tarpley, United States.
Extracts below and a comment from me. Read online: https://www.afro.who.int/countries/democratic-republic-of-congo/news/acc...
Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo—
When the Ebola outbreak was declared in Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 15 May 2026, health teams rapidly mobilized to detect cases, care for patients and prevent further transmission of the virus...
In Kigonze, a settlement for internally displaced people on the outskirts of Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, Dheve Machozi, a community mobilizer, remembers the first weeks of the outbreak, when many questions remained unanswered. Families wanted to understand the origins of the disease, the reasons behind the work of health teams and the measures needed to protect themselves.
To address concerns raised by communities, authorities adopted an approach centred on listening and dialogue to better understand community concerns and respond to them quickly.
“In the beginning, many people did not understand why health teams were working in the community. The community awareness sessions helped us better understand the disease and the importance of the measures put in place to protect us,” she says...
“Questions raised during radio programmes, together with rumours reported by community volunteers and local leaders, are documented, analysed and integrated into the community perception monitoring system. This enables response teams to identify misunderstandings, adapt messages and address concerns more quickly,” he explains.
From the beginning of the outbreak, World Health Organization (WHO) supported this effort through infodemic management activities, which include monitoring perceptions, analysing information circulating among communities and facilitating access to reliable information.
“We have seen increased community acceptance. Today, we are seeing greater community involvement, particularly through more rapid reporting of alerts and referrals of sick people to Ebola treatment centres,” says Jack-Katson Katya Maliro, WHO RCCE focal point in the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
Traditional leaders, religious leaders, women’s and youth associations, community volunteers, motorcycle taxi drivers and other influential community members also contribute to disseminating prevention messages and facilitating dialogue between response teams and communities.
On the ground, teams remain engaged with families to identify emerging concerns, provide appropriate explanations and adapt interventions to local realities.
In Kigonze, Machozi believes that better access to reliable information is helping change attitudes within her community. She continues to raise awareness among those around her and encourages families to seek information from trusted sources.
“Today, we see more people seeking information and asking questions when they have doubts. When people have access to reliable information, it becomes easier to protect their loved ones and their community. That is what motivates us to continue this work every day,” she says.
COMMENT (NPW): This WHO report powerfully validates the HIFA vision: a future where every person has access to the reliable healthcare information they need to protect their own health and the health of others. Not just for Ebola but for every aspect of health. HIFA continues to encourage WHO to explicitly champion universal access to reliable healthcare information.
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org