Ebola Survivors Take Prevention Drive to Schools in DR Congo's Beni
Ebola survivors in Beni, DR Congo, are visiting schools to share prevention tips as the outbreak spreads across six provinces.
In Beni, a city at the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo's ongoing Ebola outbreak, survivors of the disease have begun visiting schools to share their experiences and promote safety measures as classrooms reopen.
Gisèle Nziavake, an Ebola survivor, said the group is motivated to speak because they have lived through the illness. "We came here today to raise awareness because we ourselves are among those who have been affected by the disease," she said, adding that they chose schools because several confirmed cases have been reported in Beni.
The initiative comes as authorities battle an outbreak that has killed nearly 3,200 people out of more than 6,600 confirmed cases. The disease has spread across six provinces in eastern Congo, where rebel violence, displacement, and heavy population movement complicate response efforts.
Teachers at the schools also face practical hurdles. Rebecca Kahindo Kaputu, a teacher at Mapambazuko Elementary School, said, "We have faucets for water, but we can go two, three, or even four days without any water coming out of them. And second, we don't even have a thermometer to check the students' temperatures."
Mbusa Kavunga Osée, president of the Support Program for Families Affected by Ebola (PAFTV), urged the community to learn from survivors, including those who lived through the 10th Ebola epidemic. He called on teachers to commit to the fight and follow all protective measures.
The current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Health workers are being vaccinated with the Evrebo vaccine, which the World Health Organization says may offer some protection, though conclusive evidence against this virus is lacking.
Health authorities warn that the true scale of the crisis may be three times higher than official figures, as the disease continues to outpace containment efforts. The WHO has projected that this outbreak could surpass the deadliest on record — the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, which killed more than 11,000 people.