Protect Uganda-DRC Border Communities from Ebola

Dear Donor,

The continuing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo demonstrates why disease preparedness cannot stop at national borders.

The latest ECDC update reports 7,200 confirmed cases and 3,475 deaths in the DRC as of 12 September, while the outbreak has continued expanding geographically. WHO previously reported transmission across 61 health zones, and recent reporting has confirmed the involvement of South Ubangi, the seventh province affected.

Uganda has successfully ended its own Ebola outbreak, but its geographical proximity to the DRC means continued vigilance remains important.

Development Alert's preparedness activities focus on strengthening communication and awareness among communities that interact across borders through trade, family connections, transport, employment and other activities.

We engage community leaders and local volunteers to promote accurate health information and encourage prompt reporting of concerning illnesses. We also emphasize that people should seek appropriate medical guidance rather than relying on rumors or informal treatments.

Cross-border preparedness also requires coordination. Community organizations, local authorities, health workers and development partners must be able to communicate when risks emerge.

We support community education at locations where people gather and move frequently, including markets, transport points, schools and villages. Boda boda riders and other transport workers are particularly important because they connect multiple communities every day.

Our approach also includes preparedness for the movement of essential supplies and information into underserved areas.

The objective is not to restrict legitimate movement unnecessarily. It is to make communities more capable of recognizing risks and responding responsibly.

WHO and African health authorities continue emphasizing stronger cross-border cooperation as part of regional preparedness.

The border should not be a gap in public-health protection. With continued support, Development Alert can help strengthen the community connections that make early warning, communication and rapid action possible.

Dear Donor,

The Ebola emergency has reinforced a lesson that Development Alert has seen across its wider health and clean-water work: access to safe water and practical hygiene facilities is fundamental to community resilience.

As the DRC outbreak continues to grow, the latest ECDC update reports 7,200 confirmed cases and 3,475 deaths, while 923 patients were hospitalized in isolation as of 12 September.

Development Alert continues promoting handwashing and community hygiene as part of grassroots Ebola preparedness.

Our activities focus on encouraging schools, communities, transport points and public gathering places to maintain accessible handwashing facilities and promote regular hand hygiene. We also encourage communities to keep shared spaces clean and to follow guidance from public health authorities regarding infection prevention.

For schools, hygiene education is especially important. Children can become powerful messengers because they take what they learn in school back to their families. Teachers can reinforce handwashing habits while helping students understand how to respond responsibly to public-health information.

In rural communities, however, hygiene promotion must be practical. Families need access to water, soap or appropriate alternatives and information that can be understood easily.

Development Alert therefore integrates Ebola awareness with broader WASH education rather than treating disease preparedness as a temporary campaign.

We also engage community leaders to identify locations where hygiene facilities are particularly important, including markets, gathering places and transport stages.

The purpose is not to create fear. It is to build habits that protect people during Ebola outbreaks and continue benefiting communities after an outbreak has ended.

Uganda’s successful containment of Ebola demonstrates what strong community participation can achieve. Maintaining that success requires continued investment in the basic prevention measures that communities can control every day.

With donor support, we can continue strengthening the simple but powerful protections—clean water, hand hygiene, accurate information and responsible community behavior—that help keep families safer.