Dread and denial at heart of deadly DRC Ebola outbreak
The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a severe Ebola outbreak, particularly in the town of Mongbwalu. With 322 suspected cases and 88 deaths reported, local skepticism about the disease complicates the response efforts. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak an international emergency as it spreads to neighboring regions and Uganda.
- ▪The outbreak has already killed 204 people, with 88 deaths reported in Mongbwalu alone.
- ▪Local residents are divided between believing in the virus and denying its existence, complicating public health efforts.
- ▪Healthcare workers are using basic protective measures, highlighting the slow response to the outbreak.
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Dread and denial at heart of deadly DRC Ebola outbreakSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxOf the 322 people suspected to have contracted Ebola in Mongbwalu, 88 have died.PHOTO: AFPPublished May 24, 2026, 08:14 PMUpdated May 24, 2026, 08:14 PMMONGBWALU, Democratic Republic of Congo – Unlike other residents of Mongbwalu, a town at the heart of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) latest devastating Ebola outbreak, Ms Laureine Sakiya believes that the blood-letting virus exists after seeing some of her neighbours die.“The authorities need to bring us vaccines,” the 26-year-old woman told AFP.But no vaccine or treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola responsible for the vast central African country’s 17th outbreak of the disease, believed to have…
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