Ebola kills four in one Congolese family

Alphonse bin Kitobi Achou Taibo, the chief of Bapakombe-Bakondo, watched four relatives die from Ebola while eleven others survived. His village sits on the outskirts of Beni in North Kivu province, a major hotspot for the current outbreak. He described a desperate race to get sick family members to the nearest hospital, only to face refusal from those who believed he was taking them to their graves.

Achou Taibo identified deep-seated mistrust as the primary obstacle. In this region, many people view Ebola as a form of poison or the work of evil spirits. Local pastors have reinforced these fears, making it difficult for health teams to persuade residents to report symptoms. This skepticism has complicated containment efforts in communities that have endured years of conflict.

The current outbreak, declared in May, is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus. There is no approved vaccine or treatment for this strain. Response teams face challenges from armed conflict, poor infrastructure, and resident violence driven by misinformation. The outbreak has spread to four other African countries, including Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria, with active cases in two of them.

Congo’s Ministry of Health reported that the outbreak surpassed 10,000 confirmed cases this week, resulting in more than 4,800 deaths. Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya told African health ministers in a virtual summit on Wednesday that the continent is not winning the fight against the disease. He noted that ministers agreed to prepare every country and coordinate across borders while keeping them open.

Traditional medicine often conflicts with modern medical advice. When one of Achou Taibo’s cousins died in August, a local clinic blamed poisoning. Another cousin, Zawadi Kavira Musubao, fell ill during the funeral and was treated with a potion meant to expel poison, which worsened her condition before she recovered. After her death, an uncle also died, with the clinic citing late arrival as the cause.

Violence has erupted in the neighborhood as young people set fire to homes, accusing residents of witchcraft. Achou Taibo said this mentality dominates the area. Mistrust of the government has grown due to allegations of corruption in past outbreaks and protests by front-line workers over unpaid wages and dangerous conditions. A nurse was killed and another injured last Saturday in Bafwasende, Tshopo province, while responding to an alert.

Stigma persists for survivors. Musubao’s landlord forced her family out after health workers disinfected their home, claiming the process brought evil spirits inside. Government data from early October showed that more than 70% of new cases were outside known contact lists, and at least 60% of deaths occurred outside treatment centers. Achou Taibo continues to speak to hostile crowds to urge testing and shares money with those in need.