Support Community-Led Ebola Containment in Uganda

Dear donor,

Uganda's declaration as Ebola-free is a moment of celebration, but communities along the Uganda–DRC border understand that vigilance must continue. The Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing an unprecedented Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, with confirmed infections recently surpassing 4,000 and deaths approaching 1,850.

The continuing crisis demonstrates why preparedness must remain active even when one country has successfully ended transmission. Communities on both sides of the border are connected by commerce, transportation, family relationships, agriculture, and social activities. These connections are important for livelihoods but can also create pathways for infectious diseases to move between populations.

Development Alert is therefore continuing to promote preparedness through community awareness, local surveillance, hygiene education, rapid communication, and engagement with frontline community structures. Our goal is to ensure that people know where to report health concerns and understand the importance of seeking reliable information during emergencies.

Local leaders remain central to this work. Village leaders, religious leaders, teachers, youth representatives, women's groups, transport operators, and community health volunteers can identify concerns quickly and help communicate accurate information to residents.

We are also preserving the response capacity developed during Uganda's outbreak. The field motorcycle purchased to support contact tracing, emergency response, and delivery of supplies remains an important tool for reaching communities where transportation challenges could otherwise create dangerous delays.

Uganda's victory demonstrates what strong community-based action can accomplish. The continuing crisis in the DRC reminds us why that preparedness must be protected.

Your support is helping ensure that Uganda remains ready, that border communities remain informed, and that the lessons learned during the outbreak continue protecting lives across the region.

Dear Donor,

The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become increasingly urgent. The country's Ebola outbreak has now surpassed 4,000 confirmed infections, with approximately 1,850 deaths reported, making it the second-largest Ebola outbreak recorded globally and the largest known outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus.

While Uganda has successfully ended its own outbreak, communities across the border continue to face significant risks associated with population movement and the continuing transmission of Ebola in the DRC. This reality makes community-level preparedness and regional cooperation more important than ever.

Development Alert remains committed to strengthening the resilience of communities connected to the Uganda–DRC border. Our approach emphasizes practical interventions that communities can sustain, including health education, community surveillance, early-alert networks, hygiene promotion, and engagement with local leaders.

The experience of Uganda has demonstrated the value of acting quickly. Communities were mobilized to recognize warning signs, cooperate with contact tracing teams, support infection prevention, and communicate health concerns promptly. These lessons are now particularly valuable as communities in the DRC confront a much larger outbreak.

The crisis is also being complicated by conflict, gaps in surveillance, difficult access to affected populations, and shortages of specialized vaccines and treatments for the Bundibugyo strain.

Your support can help ensure that vulnerable border communities remain informed and prepared. Every community volunteer trained, every household reached, and every prevention message shared contributes to stronger regional health security while Uganda's success is protected.