Protect Uganda-DRC Border Communities from Ebola

Dear Donor,

Clean water, handwashing and good hygiene remain important elements of community protection during infectious-disease emergencies.

With 7,475 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,605 deaths recorded in the DRC by 16 September, strengthening practical prevention measures remains essential.

Development Alert continues integrating WASH awareness into community health preparedness.

We encourage schools, households, markets and public gathering places to maintain functional handwashing facilities and promote regular hand hygiene.

Our approach is intentionally practical. Communities are encouraged to make hygiene part of daily life rather than treating it as a temporary activity that only matters during an outbreak.

Schools are particularly important. Teachers can reinforce hygiene habits among children, while students can carry those lessons into their homes.

Markets and transport stages also require attention because they bring together people from different communities.

We engage local leaders and community volunteers to encourage the maintenance and use of handwashing facilities and to promote accurate health information.

These measures have benefits beyond Ebola. Strong hygiene practices can help reduce other infectious diseases and improve general community health.

Development Alert's broader clean-water experience also reinforces the importance of linking emergency preparedness with sustainable WASH improvements.

WHO continues to identify infection prevention and control and community engagement as key components of the Ebola response.

Every community that has reliable hygiene information and practical handwashing facilities is better prepared for today's outbreak and tomorrow's health challenges.

Dear Donor,

Healthcare facilities must remain places of healing rather than sources of further transmission during an Ebola outbreak.

The DRC has now reported 7,475 confirmed cases and 3,605 deaths, while 905 patients were hospitalized in isolation as of the latest ECDC update.

Development Alert continues promoting infection prevention and control awareness among communities and supporting understanding of why healthcare facilities need strong protective procedures.

Our community engagement activities encourage families to seek appropriate care while respecting health-facility protocols.

We emphasize the importance of notifying healthcare workers about concerning symptoms and possible exposure so that appropriate precautions can be taken.

We also promote basic hygiene and infection-prevention practices in community settings, including handwashing and maintaining clean shared environments.

Protecting healthcare workers is equally important. Health workers are essential to diagnosis, treatment, surveillance and referral, but they require proper training, protective measures and community cooperation.

WHO identifies infection prevention and control, clinical care, surveillance and laboratory testing among the key pillars of the DRC response.

Development Alert's community-level contribution is to help ensure that residents understand and cooperate with these measures.

We also recognize the importance of reducing fear around healthcare facilities. If people become afraid of seeking care, serious illness may be hidden until transmission has already occurred.

Our message is therefore one of confidence and responsibility: seek appropriate professional care, communicate honestly with health workers and follow their guidance.

Your support helps us strengthen the community behaviors and awareness that allow healthcare facilities to remain safe places for patients and health workers.