Healthcare workers race to reach DRC's remote communities during Ebola outbreak. The challenge is finding an open road. 

What is the main challenge you are currently facing in the fight against Ebola, and how does it affect your work? 

“The big challenge we face is the poor road infrastructure, especially during the rainy season. Heavy rains make the roads impassable, and fallen trees often block access to remote areas. These conditions delay our ability to reach communities with lifesaving awareness messages and timely health interventions. As frontline workers, every delay increases the risk of the virus spreading and reduces the effectiveness of early prevention efforts. Improving access to affected communities is essential for a rapid and coordinated response.” 

How are communities responding to Ebola prevention and response efforts, and what are their main concerns?  

“Some community members are participating in awareness activities and sharing prevention messages with their families and neighbors, but others still resist. Those who participate use regular handwashing using clean water and, when soap is unavailable, they use ash as an alternative for hand hygiene. Although access to basic hygiene materials remains a challenge, many people are making the best use of the resources they have. Their main concern is protecting their families from infection while ensuring they have accurate information and the necessary support to practice preventive measures consistently.”  

Unpredictable terrain

CARE driver Egide Kasereka nearly had to abandon an outreach trip when his vehicle became partially submerged along the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Fizi, South Kivu. Scenes like this illustrate the physical challenges CARE’s logistics teams regularly face to keep humanitarian deliveries moving across difficult and often unpredictable terrain.

As he tried to move the truck out of the water, it struck a large rock, forcing him to think quickly and maneuver the vehicle out without significant damage.

“Since the vehicle was operating in four-wheel drive (traction mode), I carefully applied controlled engine power while keeping the engine at idle speed. This allowed the vehicle to generate enough force to push the water away while preventing water from entering the exhaust system, as the exhaust pipe was already submerged. Maintaining the engine at idle was essential because it prevented water from flowing back into the exhaust. I continued these careful maneuvers to steer the vehicle away from the large rock and safely free it from the water,” Egide explained.

Egide was able to continue, but the longer communities wait for support, the harder the outbreak becomes to contain. CARE is calling for a significant and immediate increase in financial and technical support to the broader aid response in DRC. People urgently need protective equipment and potentially lifesaving information about the disease to help stop the spread.

Jeannot and Egide have helped CARE re-establish and maintain its presence in communities at risk from Ebola. They must stay alert, creative, and determined as they navigate muddy, flooded, and obstacle-filled roads to deliver critical supplies. Once they arrive, their relationships with residents help rebuild trust and promote prevention practices, including handwashing and sharing accurate health information.

Jeannot shares how some communities react when CARE teams arrive and what is giving him hope.

Q&A with Jeannot Muhindo continues below

Could you describe a moment from the past few weeks that best illustrates the reality of frontline work during this Ebola outbreak?  

“One moment that stood out was when we arrived in Hero Mandibe village in Ituri province, together with the surveillance team. As soon as people saw the CARE vehicle entering the area, they expressed relief. Many community members said they had been waiting and hoping for CARE to return. For the past two years, CARE, with funding from Global Affairs Canada and in partnership with local organization Femme Congolaise pour le Développement (FECONDE), has been present in Hero Mandibe and surrounding areas, offering lifesaving protection projects for women and girls alongside nutrition and healthcare assistance project for families affected by the existing humanitarian crisis. This work was visible and crucial to the community.”

What support or resources would be most helpful in protecting communities and saving lives?  

“The most valuable support would be sustained community engagement that addresses underlying and deep humanitarian needs, while running continuous awareness campaigns about the risks of the virus. It is essential to remain present in the communities, providing regular access to healthcare, livelihoods, and safety, as well as reminding people that Ebola is a real and preventable disease. In addition, increased support with hygiene supplies such as soap and handwashing facilities, and protective equipment for frontline workers would strengthen prevention efforts. Building trust through consistent community outreach is one of the most effective ways to protect lives and reduce the spread of the disease.” 

Despite the challenges, what gives you hope to continue this work? 

“What gives me hope is seeing more people now recognizing that Ebola is a real disease and understanding the importance of prevention. Families have started adopting protective behaviors such as regular handwashing and following recommended health measures. Witnessing this growing awareness and the willingness of communities to protect themselves motivates me to continue this work. Every informed family and every positive behavior change brings us one step closer to preventing infections and saving lives.” 

CARE started working in DRC in 1979. Prior to 1998, CARE worked in the DRC to support Rwandan refugees who had fled there from their own country. In 2002, CARE returned to the DRC to help people affected by the country’s own long-standing conflict.

CARE’s programmatic work in the DRC focuses on humanitarian response, women’s economic empowerment, reproductive health, food and nutrition security, environment, resilience, and the right to a life free from violence.