Trust is growing among residents of Mongbwalu in the DRC due to the fight against the Ebola outbreak

The lack of water complicates efforts to contain the Ebola virus outbreak in Mongbwalu, a gold mining town located in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many residents of this settlement do not have reliable access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation facilities.

Every morning, residents have to travel several kilometers to collect water from a nearby natural source. For families who cannot afford water from public taps, the spring is often the only accessible source. Furthermore, groundwater in some parts of the city is contaminated by runoff related to mining activities.

A resident of Mongbwalu, Françoise Ididi, shared her problem: 'Three jugs cost 1000 Congolese francs ($0.44). If you have ten jugs at home and only 1000 francs left, plus you need to feed your children, what should you do?' She added that it is this financial pressure that forces people to walk miles every day for free water from the spring.

According to the organization Oxfam, only one in five residents of Mongbwalu, whose population is estimated at 140,000, has stable access to safe water. Families are forced to ration available water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning, leaving fewer reserves for regular handwashing—a key measure in preventing the spread of Ebola.

The shortage is also observed at the central market of Mongbwalu, where hundreds of people gather daily. Vendor Neema Mave noted the absence of handwashing stations and disinfectants, stating: 'We spend the whole day without washing our hands unless we do it at home. Authorities must take action.'

Some non-governmental organizations have installed reservoirs to alleviate the water shortage, and groundwater sources help part of the community. However, because gold mining contributes to water contamination, residents continue to face limited access to safe water while health authorities work to contain the Ebola outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading faster than response measures can cope. In some hotspots, the number of new infections is doubling, and frontline healthcare workers are disrupting services due to strikes.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued this warning on Wednesday during a visit to the DRC, noting that this Ebola epidemic is the fastest-growing in history. After meeting with government officials in the capital, Kinshasa, Tedros stated in an X post: 'In some hotspots, new cases are doubling. We all agree that we need to urgently and massively scale up all our efforts across all response areas with all partners.'

This was Tedros's second visit to the DRC since the outbreak was declared in mid-May. According to the DRC Ministry of Health, 3,874 people have been infected, and 1,751 have died, making this outbreak the second largest in history after the West African epidemic in 2014–2016.

Residents of Bunia reported a worsening situation after many healthcare workers stopped working due to lack of pay. Although some workers have started receiving payments for work performed since the start of the outbreak, they are demanding higher wages and more reliable compensation.

Strike disrupts access to healthcare

Local residents note that the strike has led to fatal consequences. Aniset Baluku, a resident of Bunia whose two brothers died of Ebola during the disruptions, called on authorities to find a quick solution to avoid similar tragedies for other families.

The strike has further weakened the healthcare system, which was already undermined by armed conflict in eastern DRC, near the borders with South Sudan, Uganda, and Rwanda.

Increase in international funding

The United States announced an additional $242 million for fighting Ebola, preparedness, and humanitarian aid, bringing total US support for the outbreak to over $512 million. Health experts believe that the rate of disease transmission has already exceeded the figures of previous Ebola epidemics.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. Officials believe the virus circulated in remote communities long before the official declaration of the outbreak on May 15.

'The outbreak is spreading at alarming and unprecedented rates,' warned Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on Wednesday, despite expanded response efforts. MSF added that 'the response is expanding but still not reaching communities quickly enough to break chains of transmission.'

Africa CDC Director General John Kasieye stated that contact tracing is failing to identify a significant portion of new cases. On Tuesday during his visit to Bunia, he said: 'At least 60% to 70% of new cases are not coming from the list of controlled contacts.'

Healthcare workers point out that the delayed detection of infections significantly contributed to the high fatality rate of the outbreak, which stands at about 45%. Of 77 new cases registered in the last 24 hours, 44 were classified as severe. Currently, at least 717 patients remain in isolation, and 749 people have recovered.