Aid workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have described the challenges of fighting the Ebola outbreak in the country, with poverty and lack of education compounding the seriousness of the problem.
The current outbreak is the 17th such occurrence in the DRC in half a century.
Churches and aid organisations in the country are doing what they can to provide medical care, promote basic hygiene practices and stop the spread of misinformation.
Earlier this week, the Anglican Bishop of Goma, Martin Gordon, spoke of how some locals did not even believe in the existence of the disease.
Mistrust of the authorities has also led to attacks on medical staff and facilities both in the current outbreak and in the past.
A local nurse, Isaac Bataga, told Tearfund a similar story: “Some people still refuse to believe that Ebola can kill. When it first arrived, the population did not really understand what the virus was. This misunderstanding has led to resistance and fear within the community. Even today, some residents are still afraid to seek medical care.”
Bataga is located at the centre of the outbreak, in the province of Ituri. As part of his efforts he teaches members of his church congregation to wash their hands with soap and water and to avoid physical contact with others.
To outsiders, such simple procedures may seem obvious, but Tearfund’s DRC country director noted that when clean water is in short supply, washing one’s hands can turn into a big ask.
“Handwashing might sound simple,” Poppy Anguandia, said, “but when you have only a few precious litres of safe water a day, or you have to choose between a bar of soap or food for your family, it can be a life or death decision.”
Churches are doing their part to make the practice more common.
Bagata’s church pastor, Schadrack Nyakulinda, said, “The church raises awareness about ways to protect oneself against Ebola, especially hand washing.
"When the faithful arrive at the church, they wash their hands. We also fight the disease through prayer. And our request is that you pray for us, so that God gives us peace.”
Official figures state that at least 80 people have been killed in the outbreak, with around 450 confirmed cases. However, estimates suggest that the real figures may be much higher, with hundreds of deaths and at least a thousand cases.
