Outbreaks and violence make daily life a struggle in eastern DR Congo | Doctors Without Borders

The looming threat of Ebola disease 

The Ebola disease outbreak, declared by national authorities in May, has dramatically worsened the health situation in Ituri. So far, 36 people with confirmed cases of Ebola disease have been transferred and admitted to the 24-bed Ebola treatment unit that MSF set up at Fataki General Hospital. The unit will soon be extended to 32 beds. The transmission risk for staff forced MSF to stop providing surgical support to the hospital — a difficult decision that will have a real impact. 

Everybody is aware of the disastrous consequences if the virus were to spread more broadly in the camp. So far, three people with confirmed cases of Ebola disease have been detected in Plaine Savo. Thanks to the swift mobilization of the community, and with MSF support, all of them were referred to Fataki hospital early for diagnosis and treatment. 

“We are very afraid,” says Alphonsine. “Some of us have family members who have died in Mongbwalu and Bunia [from Ebola disease]. Shelters in Plaine Savo are crowded and often not even separated by half a meter from each other. If the disease arrives here, people could die en masse. That is why we are raising awareness among the population.” 

Ebola disease is transmitted through direct contact with sweat, excrement, or other bodily fluids. To help prevent Ebola disease from spreading easily, access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene is key. Since February, MSF teams have built 311 latrines, provide clean water through water trucking, and have dug nine new boreholes. 

But more work needs to be done, as both the number of latrines and the daily amount of drinkable water available per person in the camp remain critically low. Non-food items and food distributions are needed in addition to efforts to protect the most vulnerable from abuse. 

“To preserve the lives, dignity, and safety of displaced people in Plaine Savo, as well as to help better protect them against Ebola disease, the response must be urgently scaled up,” said Newport. “This means more actors on the ground with a greater capacity to intervene.”