The World Health Organization issued community-level guidance urging people in Ebola-affected areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to avoid contact with sick individuals and practice strict hygiene as the Bundibugyo outbreak expands.
WHO recommendations include handwashing with soap, safe burials performed by trained teams and immediate reporting of fever, bleeding or sudden death to health authorities. Community engagement officers are working with local leaders to counter misinformation that drives hiding of cases.
The outbreak has affected multiple health zones in Ituri Province, including Mongbwalu and Rwampara, with suspected cases surpassing 800. WHO assessed the national risk as very high and emphasized that early isolation reduces family cluster transmission common in Ebola epidemics.
Response teams are distributing chlorine, gloves and educational materials while establishing triage points. International partners said trust-building visits are as critical as laboratory capacity because behavioral compliance determines whether containment outpaces viral spread in remote communities.
WHO temporary recommendations urge neighboring states to activate border screening and prepare isolation beds without restricting trade and travel disproportionately. Community health workers in Ituri conduct house visits in local languages to explain that hiding sick relatives increases family cluster deaths. Safe burial teams trained in personal protective equipment remain in short supply relative to suspected case counts across multiple health zones.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
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Sources:
https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/05/1167558