New Ebola outbreak hits DRC and Uganda: What you need to know

Ebola is a rare but severe viral illness. It spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of someone who has fallen ill or died from the disease, or through contaminated surfaces and materials. Early symptoms can resemble more common illnesses like the flu, including fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea — making fast testing and safe care especially important.

For families, Ebola can disrupt every part of daily life. People who become sick need immediate care, but caring for loved ones at home can increase the risk of infection. Survivors may also face fear or stigma when they return to their communities. That is why Ebola response depends not only on medical care, but also on trust: clear, accurate information from people communities know and rely on.

But trust, testing, and timely care all depend on systems that are already under pressure in Uganda and the DRC. Recent humanitarian and global health funding cuts have reduced support for outbreak preparedness, local health systems, medical supplies, sanitation, community outreach, violence prevention, and more. Infectious disease control professionals in East and Central Africa say those cuts have left health facilities with less protective equipment, weaker surveillance capacity, and fewer frontline resources. In crowded displacement settings, delays in testing, referrals, or public information can allow Ebola to spread before families have the support they need.

Women and girls can face greater risks during an Ebola outbreak. During previous Ebola outbreaks in the DRC, women accounted for more than half of confirmed and probable cases. In many households, they are expected to be the primary caregivers for children, older relatives, and family members who are sick.

“As caregivers, women are at heightened risk of exposure to infection,” said Dr. Bocoum. “A combination of their immense needs already going unmet and the spread of this highly infectious virus could be devastating.”

Research in Uganda’s border districts found that women are also more likely to care for sick people at home and participate in burial practices that may increase exposure risk. Disease outbreaks can also disrupt health care, clean water, protection services, and livelihoods. For women and girls, that can mean reduced access to maternal health care, family planning, routine medical support, and services around preventing violence against women and girls — with consequences that can last long after an outbreak is contained. UNFPA has also warned that, in communities already affected by conflict and displacement, the economic effects of disease outbreaks can increase the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse for women and children.

“Thousands of women and their families already struggling to survive hunger, displacement, and violence in the eastern DRC now face, again, the terrifying threat of Ebola,” Dr. Bocoum concluded.

CARE has supported previous Ebola responses in the DRC, including during the 2018 outbreak in North Kivu. That outbreak became one of the most complex Ebola responses in the country’s history because it unfolded in an active conflict zone. CARE’s work focused on filling critical gaps in water, sanitation, and hygiene; community engagement and public information campaigns; infection prevention training; and distribution of personal protective equipment for frontline workers. CARE also distributed dignity kits for women and girls containing supplies such as soap, hand sanitizer, sanitary pads, underwear, and other essential items.

Across communities at risk today, CARE’s preparedness work includes sharing accurate health information through trusted local channels, reinforcing good hygiene practices to reduce the spread of illness, supporting health referrals, and working with local partners to help people understand how to protect themselves and when to seek care. In Uganda, CARE is supporting the Ministry of Health’s Ebola preparedness measures, including screening and surveillance at points of entry, rapid response readiness in high-risk districts, isolation planning, infection prevention and control, and public risk communication.

CARE is also mobilizing emergency response efforts targeting between 500,000 and 1 million people in affected and high-risk areas, including Ituri Province, key health zones in North Kivu, and selected urban and cross-border locations. Priority will be given to communities in transmission hotspots, health workers, displaced and mobile populations, and high-risk groups, including women and girls. CARE Uganda will continue monitoring the outbreak, updating staff and partner safety guidance, and adapting field operations as needed. If requested by government authorities or partners, and if additional funding becomes available, CARE is prepared to scale up community-based support in high-risk areas.