The Democratic Republic of Congo is grappling with a new Ebola outbreak, this time caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, as health officials confront deep-seated community skepticism and the absence of an approved vaccine. As of Sunday, 550 cases have been confirmed, including 101 deaths and 19 recoveries, according to the latest figures.
The outbreak is centered in Beni, a bustling commercial hub near the borders with Uganda and Rwanda, which was also the epicenter of the 2018-2020 outbreak—the second-largest in history, with over 3,400 reported cases and more than 2,200 deaths.
Survivors of the previous outbreak recall the fear and misinformation that hampered the response. Vianney Kambale Kombi, who contracted Ebola during the 2018 outbreak, said many in his community believed the disease was witchcraft or a "Western conspiracy for funding reasons." He noted that the lack of acceptance made reintegration difficult for survivors.
"When a pandemic hits here in Congo, we initially think it's a political issue," said Bienfait Wanzire, another survivor. "At first, we thought it was a spiritual illness.
Then because there were election campaigns, we believed it was political."
Dr. Babah Mutuza Lusungu, a physician at "Dieu Est Grand" Medical Center in Beni, lost his uncle and two colleagues during the previous outbreak as he struggled to convince people the disease was real.
"There was very strong resistance," he said. "And so there was a climate of mistrust between the population, the authorities, the partners, and the health workers." He urged local authorities to involve youth leaders early in the response to educate the community.
"If we wait until they have so many declared cases to start making an effective response, we will have totally missed the target," he warned.
Esperance Masinda, who worked for the U.N. children's agency during the 2018 outbreak, contracted Ebola while caring for her husband, a doctor.
Although both recovered, the vaccine that saved them initially led to stigma. "When we were in the community, we were told that you're not going to make it even five years, you're going to die with that medication that you took there," she said.
However, she noted that attitudes have since changed, and survivors are no longer stigmatized.
The current outbreak poses additional challenges because no vaccine has been approved for the Bundibugyo strain, unlike the 2018 outbreak where vaccines were instrumental in stopping the spread. Health workers are now racing to contain the virus amid ongoing community mistrust and the memory of past failures.