Mistrust Spreads With the Ebola Virus in Congo

In a remote mining town at the center of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak, grief and mistrust are complicating efforts to stop the virus. Health workers are trying to treat the ill and bury the dead, but some residents remain in denial that the disease is real.

At the main hospital in Mongbwalu a mother grieving the loss of her 26‑year‑old daughter wants to be close to her child, even though people who die from Ebola remain highly infectious. Burial teams have been trained to work in protective gear, to disinfect bodies and to prevent families from touching the dead, but those rules are breaking down as people grow angry and afraid.

Health workers have been threatened and some even attacked. The disease is unfamiliar in the area. With no approved vaccine or treatment, many patients die despite receiving care, and some residents are not convinced the disease exists. A mototaxi driver fears contagion from customers and the widening mistrust in the community.

Democratic Republic of Congo, Mongbwalu

ebola, congo, mongbwalu, mining town, burial teams, protective gear, vaccine, treatment, mistrust, health workers