In DR Congo, Church urges vigilance as Ebola spreads

June 02, 2026

As a strain of Ebola for spreads in the war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Church officials are urging people to remain vigilant..

“A case count rising inexorably hour by hour, coupled with a race against time to avert an uncontrolled outbreak: these are the defining features of the latest Ebola epidemic, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine currently exists,” Giada Aquilino wrote in a prominent front-page article in the June 1 edition of L’Osservatore Romano.

Aquilino reported:

Meanwhile, on the ground, efforts continue to provide medical care and emergency treatments, all while contending with security risks, shortages of protective equipment, and, at times, resistance stemming from certain medical practices perceived as being at odds with traditional customs. This is why informing the population about the risks of the epidemic remains crucial, a task carried out directly within the villages, where, as shown in the photo, megaphones are even used to amplify appeals to remain vigilant.

This awareness-raising work is also being conducted by aid workers from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The local Church, too, is deeply committed to this effort to provide information. Caritas Congo is mobilized in refugee camps, where thousands of people fleeing the fighting are crowded together.

 

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Further information:

• Polveriera Ebola (L'Osservatore Romano, 6/1/26)