Ebola Resurges in DR Congo: Workers Lose Income, Face Infection Risk

More than a month after the DR Congo and Uganda health ministries respectively declared an Ebola outbreak on 15 May, residents of Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, are living in fear and watching their livelihoods unravel. Justin Keno, principal of the Nelson Mandela School, watches over 400 students stream through the gates each morning, wondering which child might be carrying the virus. He has installed hand-washing stations at the entrance, provided sanitizer for parents, required students to bring packed lunches instead of eating in the canteen, and banned street vendors outside the gate. 'Children come from everywhere, including areas declared hotspots. We cannot know which child comes from a quarantine zone. If one is infected, it can spread very quickly to many others,' Keno worries.

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare strain of Ebola with no approved vaccine or treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a public health emergency of international concern. As of 10 June, according to the DR Congo government, there were 136 deaths among 676 confirmed cases in the country. The outbreak has spread to three new health zones in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. In Uganda, as of 6 June, two deaths had been recorded among 19 cases. Predictive models from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest this outbreak could affect more people than the largest outbreak in history in West Africa from 2014–2016, which infected more than 28,000 people and killed 11,000.

Bunia residents say the economic burden of the disease is becoming evident. Sylvie Guilaine was forced to close her second-hand clothing shop, fearing contagion during high-contact business. 'Someone comes, touches a shirt, tries it on and throws it down. Another picks it up. That can cause contamination. I have stopped completely,' she says. Now she works as a construction laborer, soaking her work clothes in bleach solution before entering her home, delaying her greetings to her children. Yves Buakya, a motorcycle taxi driver, has seen his income plummet since the outbreak began. 'Before, two passengers could share a bike. Now they refuse. Some would rather walk than take a motorcycle taxi. I have to sit and wait for hours,' he says. He acknowledges Ebola is real, but suspects some organizations are profiting from the disease. To protect himself, he prays each morning and takes herbal medicine made from guava leaves.

Richard Ngongo, an airline travel agent, is also struggling as the disease affects movement in Ituri province, a commercial hub and transit point bordering Uganda and South Sudan. 'Flights are blocked. My cash register is empty. We were waiting for peak season, waiting for holiday travelers. Now there is nothing,' he says. Health workers in eastern DR Congo are facing shortages of basic protective equipment due to aid cuts, logistical difficulties, and the scale of the outbreak. Last week, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that protective gear could run out within days because of border closures with Uganda and Rwanda, which supply many materials, and insecurity on transport routes. Africa CDC reported that as of 4 June, only a quarter of essential supplies needed for the next three months had reached DR Congo and Uganda. Thirty-four health workers have been infected and seven have died.

At Elikya Hospital, Dr. Yazid Yassine says the isolation ward is full, even though bed capacity has been increased from six to over 18. He remains undeterred despite colleagues who have died fighting the outbreak: 'A soldier is not afraid of the battlefield. Better to die there than die at home.' However, a lack of information means many Bunia residents still do not believe the outbreak is real. Dr. Yassine has seen patients arrive too late after believing rumors that the disease is a hoax and turning to traditional healers. 'Misinformation is rampant. People say Ebola was created by health workers to get funding. Some say it is poisoning,' he says. He has also received death threats. Travel agent Ngongo insists the reality is undeniable: 'I have never read in any textbook that an epidemic can be fabricated. When you see doctors dying, do you think they would accept death for a lie?'