Americares Responding to Ebola Outbreak

A months-long Ebola virus outbreak in a remote part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to claim lives. Nearly two thousand have already died from the rare Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccine.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak apublic health emergency of international concernon May 17, 2026.

Americares is responding, working with local organizations on the frontlines.

We’re focusing on preventing infections through education, personal protective equipment (PPE) and access to safe water in the affected areas — all of which are critical for stopping the spread of the virus.

Americares is supporting partner organizations in the most affected areas. They are:

• Distributing personal protective equipment (PPE), including 800 PPE kits to high-risk schools and churches
• Rehabilitating community water sources for about 1,000 households
• Training hundreds of community leaders and health providers to prevent infection and refer patients for care
• Installing handwashing facilities
• Conducting additional screenings at strategic entry points
• Increasing targeted community health education
• Strengthening triage and infection,preventionand control measures

With Americares support, more than 100,000 people have been screened for Ebola across eight sites, and we’ve provided funding to continue that work for another two months.

We’ve also sent a shipment, weighing more than a ton, of infection prevention and medical supplies to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Americares is coordinating response efforts with the WHO and the United Nations’ global logistics and health clusters to support frontline health workers and help contain the spread of the virus.

Links:

• https://www.americares.org/emergency-program/ebola-outbreak-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-2026/