To halt the spread of the Ebola virus, Environmental Defenders, with a collective of its subsidiaries Terra Agricultural Cooperative and Radio Terra launched a massive awareness campaign. The local language campaign is being rolled out across Mahagi Territory and gradually to other territories, including Mambasa, Djugu, Irumu, and Aru, respectively, in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Ituri Province.
The visual and audio campaign launched on June 12, 2026, will help communities in Mahagi Territory respond to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which has no licensed vaccine or specific treatment.
Without vaccines or specific treatment protocols, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared in May 2026 that the fight against the Bundibugyo strain would rely heavily on early case detection, stringent infection prevention, rigorous contact tracing, safe burial practices, and deep community engagement.
Photo credit: Warom Samuel.
As of June 10, WHO had confirmed a cumulative 676 Ebola cases in the DRC, with 136 registered as deaths. Across the global community, the number of cases and the time it took to realise there was Ebola sparked fears of uncontrollable outbreak, with the capacity to spread across several other countries.
But in the Eastern part of DRC, which is the Epicentre of the outbreak, misinformation and a community that doesn’t trust public officials has burnt an Ebola treatment Centre, attacked burial teams and there are reports of families hiding possible Ebola patients who then spread the disease without any intervention by health professionals.
Speaking during the official launch of the massive, multi-pronged behavioral change and awareness campaign meant to improve public trust, Dr. Paul Wabekwo, Medical Director of Mahagi Port État Reference Health Centre, warned of extreme danger and dire consequences, when the population fails to inform health authorities of possible Ebola cases.
Dr Wabekwo shared a chilling account out of Ituri province’s largest capital Bunia, where a whole family was almost wiped due to a decision to hide an Ebola patient.
“This disease is a reality. Recently in Bunia, a single case of infection tragically claimed the lives of 10 members of the same family, plunging the entire community into panic and mourning,” said Dr Wabekwo
In the face of this threat, the Medical Director called for an immediate strengthening of hygiene infrastructure. He issued an urgent call for the installation of handwashing stations (sinks) at all strategic entry points to Wagungu chiefdom, in order to effectively screen the flow of travellers from other regions and prevent the virus from entering the community.
Dr. Wabekwo was speaking at official launch of the behaviour change campaign that caused the distribution of 16,000 local language posters. The launch took place at the Mahagi Port État Referral Health Center, in the presence of local administrative authorities and health officials from Nyarambe health zone.
On this first day, the effort focused on the shores of Lake Albert, an area considered to be at very high risk of infection. Due to its strategic location, this part of the territory regularly hosts fish traders from Mungwalu and Tshomia, two areas already affected by the outbreak.
To maximize impact of the communication materials, distribution teams targeted high-traffic public spaces, shopping centers, and vulnerable workplaces.
Posters were put up and safety messages shared in various everyday settings, to cover local markets, street vendors, the Lake Albert shoreline, hair salons, hotels, and motorcycle taxi parking lots. The posters also covered schools, health facilities, and farmers working directly in the gardens.
To ensure the success of this large-scale campaign, ED and its subsidiaries mobilized 88 community liaisons and members of the Community Mobilization Unit (CAC) to work closely with local health authorities. By the end of the event, three health centres in Nyarambe health zone in Mahagi territory had been covered. The three include Mahagi Port État, which serves a population of 13,050, Mahagi Port CECA 20 and Agudi Usoke with over 24,000 people.
Health authorities praise the impact of the message in the local language
Present at the launch to represent the head of Nyarambe Health Zone, the Primary Health Care Supervisor for Nyarambe health zone expressed his deep gratitude to the organizing organizations. He emphasized that this was an unprecedented initiative in the region, particularly praising the fact that the posters were produced in the local language.
“This is a first for our health zone. Usually, the government sends us materials in Lingala or Kikongo—languages that aren’t spoken here—or in French, which remains inaccessible to the illiterate population,” he explained, emphasizing that this localized approach will greatly facilitate the understanding of prevention messages.
The health authority also took the opportunity to issue a stern warning against denial: “Ebola virus disease is very real, and it has already claimed the lives of hundreds of people. Skeptics must stop doubting. ”
Healthcare Workers Face a Lack of Protective Equipment and Training
Despite the mobilization efforts, conditions in these facilities, which serve thousands of people, remain alarming. During a meeting with community liaisons and the CAC at the Agudi Usoke Health Center, nurses strongly lamented the dire conditions under which they are working.
Ms. Akeche, a midwife at this facility, expressed deep concern over the critical shortage of essential protective equipment. Healthcare workers lack gloves, masks, disinfectants, and protective coveralls, which directly exposes them to major risks of infection during patient care.
Beyond logistics, Ms. Akeche raised another major public health issue: the lack of proper training. Local staff do not yet have the necessary knowledge regarding protocols for managing suspected cases or the self-protection techniques essential for dealing with the Bundibugyo strain. An urgent call is therefore being made to address this skills gap before a case emerges at the facility.
An Ongoing Response to the Epidemic
At the launch, the project coordinator, Mr. Ugugi Justin, noted that this poster campaign is part of a series of community and public health initiatives led by the Environmental Defenders, Terra Agricultural Cooperative, and Radio Terra in partnership with the Ministry of Health.
Prior to this distribution of visual materials, several large-scale actions had already been initiated. These include the systematic integration of awareness messages into Radio Terra FM’s programming schedule, production and broadcast of radio spots and news programs dedicated to prevention, regular appearances by health experts on Terra FM and the strategic partnerships signed with other radio stations in Mahagi territory to expand media coverage and reach as many households as possible.
Environmental Defenders is already collaborating with 15 radio stations across Ituri and these include Radio Nyarambe, Dynamique, Umoja, Djalasiga and RADID. These radio stations are contracted and paid to relay behaviour change communication and Ebola preventions messages from medical experts, community leaders and other expert opinions.
All the content is produced in local languages and regional languages spoken in Ituri provinces, with production being rigorously vetted and approved by health experts and leaders. To ensure quality control of the messaging, Terra FM is in charge of the production and sourcing of the materials.
The Immediate Impact: A Community Educating Itself
The campaign is having a deep impact in the targeted areas. Community members expressed immense joy and great satisfaction when they received and read materials written specifically in their native language. Within hours, the landscape had visibly transformed, as residents began posting the posters on store walls, pinning them to trees in plain view, and affixing them to public places as well as the walls of health centers. In the evening, a striking scene unfolded throughout the area. Groups of residents gathered at dusk, holding their posters together and reading the guidelines aloud, raising awareness and educating one another to stop the virus.
Next Steps: Expanding into Wagungu and Mukambu Health Zone
The response team is already planning its next steps. This week, additional posters will be deployed to reinforce coverage across the Wagungu area. Simultaneously, plans are being finalized to replicate this massive awareness activity in the Mukambu, Anghal, and Djukoth Health Zone, with field operations scheduled to begin today, Monday the 15th of June, 2026. To ensure seamless coordination, the local onsite teams will be joined by Kawayu Ufoyuru Daniel and Oscar Kachiwinyrwoth from Environmental Defenders, who will co-lead and oversee the entire deployment.
To learn more about Environmental Defenders’ efforts to prevent and respond to Ebola in Ituri and how you can support, please contact – Lonyo Sarah,Program Manager, Environmental Defenders, at lonyo@watetezi.org, and Warom Samuel, communication Director at warom@watetezi.org
