Combating Ebola Misinformation
Congo Radio Station Combats Health Misinformation as Rare Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak Spreads
A Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has killed at least 62 people from 363 confirmed cases, and it is still spreading fast. AP News reports the rare Bundibugyo strain — which has no approved vaccine or treatment — has now reached 25 health zones across three provinces and crossed into Uganda, where 15 more cases and one death have been recorded.
With fear and rumors spreading as fast as the virus, a radio station in Bunia — the main city of hard-hit Ituri province — is fighting back with daily broadcasts. The station airs a 45-minute program every morning at 10 a.m., bringing in health specialists to answer listener questions and knock down dangerous myths.
No Vaccine, No Treatment, and a Virus With a Head Start
The Bundibugyo strain is one of the rarest forms of Ebola. It has only caused two prior outbreaks — in Uganda in 2007 and in DRC in 2012. Unlike the more common Zaire strain, no vaccine or approved treatment exists for it. Doctors Without Borders called this fact the key reason this outbreak is "different and significantly harder to fight."
The virus likely started spreading in the Mongbwalu mining area as early as March 2026, according to AP News. Health authorities were not alerted until May 5, giving it a dangerous head start. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited Bunia in early June and said, "The outbreak had a big head start, and we're still behind, but we are catching up."
Radio Télévision Mont Bleu Takes On Deadly Rumors
Radio Télévision Mont Bleu launched its anti-rumor program to reach people who distrust health workers. The show features doctors giving updates and answering calls from listeners. Journalist Vérité Johnson, who leads the effort, told AP News: "So far, there's still a layer of resistance within the population, and that's where the media plays an important role."
The resistance is real. Many residents in Bunia believe Ebola was "invented by doctors" to make money, or that foreign aid groups created the crisis to secure funding. UNICEF has documented these conspiracy theories circulating widely in the region. Armed groups have also attacked health workers, making the response even harder.
Funding Gaps and Surveillance Failures Fueled the Crisis
The outbreak was made worse by the loss of health surveillance funding in eastern DRC. The International Rescue Committee reports that the end of USAID funding for surveillance in the region in March 2025 created a blind spot. That gap allowed the virus to spread for weeks before anyone detected it.
The WHO has released $3.9 million for the response. The UN relief chief has added $60 million more. But Doctors Without Borders warns that hundreds of samples still sit untested due to a lack of lab capacity, meaning the true scale of the outbreak remains unknown.
Outbreak Crosses Borders as WHO Declares Global Emergency
On May 16, the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern — the agency's highest alert level. The virus has spread from its original 3 health zones to 25, including 17 in Ituri, 7 in North Kivu, and 1 in South Kivu, according to AP News. Uganda has confirmed 15 cases after a traveler from DRC died there on May 14.
The U.S. CDC responded by launching enhanced screening at four major American airports for travelers from the affected region. The historic fatality rate for the Bundibugyo strain runs between 30% and 50%. In this outbreak, the rate sits at about 17% so far — but experts caution that missing data could push that number higher.
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