DR Congo Ebola Crisis

From 2018 to 2020, the children and communities in Eastern DR Congo had to contend with the second largest Ebola outbreak in history.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) is a land beset by crisis. Violent conflicts between various armed groups have resulted in millions of people needing humanitarian assistance.

 

On top of that, the deadly contagious disease, Ebola, has killed more than 2,200 people in Eastern DR Congo. It was a children's crisis that infected more than 900 children, separated over 6,000 from their loved ones and orphaned more than 2,500.

 

The insecurity and constant movement of people caused by the conflicts made it extremely challenging to monitor and control the spread of the disease; treatment centres were attacked, causing patients to flee and spread Ebola further.

 

Community acceptance was also a major problem. A lack of trust and information about Ebola meant patients were avoiding care, leaving health facilities, and refusing safe and dignified burials. The bulk of World Vision’s activities focused on working with faith leaders and community health leaders to increase trust and stop the transmission of the disease.

 

World Vision has reached more than one million people (including 379,775 children) through its integrated response (food assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene, community engagement/Infection Prevention Control, protection and psychosocial initiatives). We also worked with trusted community members, community leaders and faith leaders to counter rumours, provide sanitation kits and initiate protective health behaviour to help stop the spread of Ebola. To this day, Ebola remains endemic to DR Congo.

 

Thank you for your contribution! Although World Vision Malaysia has closed this fundraiser, World Vision as an international organisation continues to actively monitor for any Ebola outbreak in coordination with other humanitarian stakeholders. If you would like to support our work in ongoing emergencies around the world, you can give to the General Humanitarian Emergencies Fund.

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