October 23, 2026 – As Ebola crosses two international borders in just two weeks, CARE is warning that the outbreak threatens more than public health. From disrupted economies and strained health systems to interrupted education and lost livelihoods, the virus is putting additional pressure on communities already grappling with hunger, displacement, conflict and severe humanitarian funding cuts across the region. Women and girls will bear a disproportionate share of these impacts.
“The true cost of an Ebola outbreak extends far beyond the number of infections,” said Michael Alandu, CARE’s West and Central Africa Regional Director. “It is measured in the mother forced to choose between caring for a sick relative and earning an income, the girl whose education is interrupted, the woman entrepreneur whose business grinds to a halt, and the pregnant woman unable to access the healthcare she needs. Ebola is not only a health crisis. It is a social and economic crisis that can deepen existing inequalities and set back progress for women and girls for years to come.”
Women and girls face heightened risks during Ebola outbreaks. In many households, they are the primary caregivers for children, older relatives and sick family members, increasing their risk of exposure. In some communities, women also play a central role in burial practices, while pregnant women may face increased exposure through regular contact with health services. As health systems come under strain, women and girls often face reduced access to maternal healthcare and services that help prevent and respond to violence. Displacement and economic hardship can further increase the risk of violence, exploitation and exclusion from essential services.
Nigeria’s first Ebola case, confirmed on Tuesday, and the nine cases reported in Kenya over the past two weeks mark a significant escalation of an outbreak that has now spread beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As transmission crosses borders, so too do the risks, threatening not only lives but economic activity, access to essential services and the capacity for survival in communities already struggling to withstand multiple overlapping crises.
“We are deeply concerned by the confirmed Ebola case in Abuja and the risk of further spread,” said Hussaini Abdu, CARE Nigeria’s Country Director. “Right now, the focus must be on rigorous contact tracing, daily monitoring, and rapid testing and compassionate care for anyone showing symptoms, alongside accurate, verified information so that fear and rumors do not take hold. In 2014, Nigeria demonstrated that Ebola can be contained through strong community engagement and coordinated action. We need that same speed, trust and global support and funding now.”
“Nairobi is a regional gateway, and the risk will persist as long as transmission continues in eastern DRC, where response efforts are struggling to keep pace with growing needs,” said Getrude Misango, CARE Kenya’s Country Director. “Close coordination with neighboring countries is essential. We must act together now to contain this virus before it places even greater strain on overstretched health services and deepens hardship for families already struggling to put food on the table.”
CARE Kenya and CARE Nigeria stand ready to support government-led preparedness and response efforts alongside best-placed local organizations, communities and health authorities.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the virus has spread since May 2026, confirmed cases have reached at least 9,704, with more than 4,680 related deaths. The virus has reached eight of the country’s 26 provinces by affecting 66 health zones out of 178, including Sud-Ubangi, more than 1,000 kilometers from where the outbreak began in Ituri, and is moving through communities already pushed to the brink by hunger, displacement, disease and conflict.
“Since May, we have been mobilizing to ensure communities already facing years of hunger, displacement and conflict are not left alone to face this deadly outbreak on top of those existing needs,” said Clément Nkubizi, CARE DRC Country Director. “The world has contained Ebola before, including in the DRC, through rapid public health action, contact tracing and community engagement. But resources are far scarcer today, and understandably people feel abandoned. CARE is working with health authorities, local partners, and community leaders to strengthen awareness, surveillance, and infection prevention. Without urgent funding and a stronger response, the virus could spread further and place even greater strain on fragile health systems.”
In response to the outbreak’s spread, CARE has deployed emergency response teams to newly affected areas, including Bafwasende in Tshopo Province and South-Ubangi. Earlier this year, the head of the WHO warned that at its current pace, the outbreak was on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic, the deadliest in history, which killed more than 11,000 people out of more than 28,000 cases.
A successful response must therefore go beyond containing the virus to ensuring women and girls can safely access health care and protection services. This must include support for survivors of violence, livelihood support, and funding for local women’s organizations and community networks that are often at the forefront of response efforts.
CARE is calling for urgent investment in women-led and community-led response efforts, frontline health workers, surveillance and early warning systems, safe water and sanitation, and essential services that protect the health, livelihoods and dignity of women and girls. Local women’s organizations and community networks play a critical role in preventing disease transmission, building trust and ensuring life-saving information reaches those most at risk. CARE also urges strengthened regional cooperation, including cross-border surveillance, information-sharing and coordinated preparedness measures, to help prevent further spread and ensure a timely, effective response.
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