Congo tightens travel as Ebola spreads and supplies run low

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Uganda has already reported five confirmed Ebola infections linked to the outbreak.

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Kaseya said shortages extend far beyond vaccines and experimental treatments. Despite millions of dollars pledged by governments and aid agencies since the outbreak escalated, some frontline facilities are still struggling to secure basics, from personal protection equipment, known as PPE, to treatment space and laboratory supplies.

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“Why are we still lacking PPE?” he said, questioning where promised funding was going.

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In Bunia, not far from the Ugandan border, some patients were still being treated in ordinary hospital wards because dedicated Ebola treatment centers had not yet been fully established, he said.

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Health authorities are increasingly relying on local leaders and community networks to spread the word on safe practices, including persuading families to modify long-held burial practices that can accelerate Ebola transmission.

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Burial clashes

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Tensions erupted near Bunia after relatives of a man who died at Rwampara Hospital clashed with health workers who refused to release his body because of infection risks. Ebola treatment tents run by aid group Alima were later set on fire during the unrest, and local reports said some patients fled amid the chaos.

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The conflict underscored the delicate challenge responders face in balancing infection control with culturally sensitive “dignified burials,” Kaseya said.

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“This young person was a leader of a group,” he said. “They have their own way to celebrate their leaders when they pass on.”

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Africa CDC is now working through community and religious leaders, rather than relying solely on doctors and officials, to communicate public health guidance.

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“When you start to use local leaders who are not medical doctors, who can speak in a more simple way, use local language, give more examples, then we can achieve something,” Kaseya said.

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Health officials are encouraging communities to continue funeral ceremonies while avoiding direct contact with bodies.

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“They can still have the funerals, but differently,” he said.

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The issue is especially difficult for women, who account for more than 60 per cent of suspected cases, according to Kaseya. In many communities, women are expected to wash or touch the bodies of deceased relatives as a sign of love and respect.

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“To show that you really loved your husband,” he said, “you need to touch the body.”

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A mother helps her children wash their hands before entering Kyeshero Hospital at a checkpoint for hand washing and temperature screening for all visitors and patients as part of Ebola prevention measures in Goma on May 18, 2026. Photo by AFP Contributor#AFP /AFP via Getty Images

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The behavioural and logistical challenges are unfolding alongside mounting funding needs, Kaseya said.

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Countries responding to the outbreak have requested about $319 million for emergency response and preparedness measures, with about 84 per cent needed for the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda and the remainder for neighbouring high-risk countries, including South Sudan, Africa CDC said.

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The U.S. State Department is working with private companies and international partners to expand testing capacity and explore potential antiviral treatments for the Bundibugyo strain, it said in a statement.

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Major spending needs include infection prevention and control, water and sanitation programs, case management, surveillance and logistics. Africa CDC also announced a partnership with India to deliver roughly 20 tons of medical supplies by Monday.

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“We need to act with urgency,” Kaseya said. “We need to make sure pledges that we got today can be translated into concrete money very quickly.”

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— With assistance from Shamim Adam, Michael J. Kavanagh and Michael Heath.

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