Protect Uganda-DRC Border Communities from Ebola

Dear Donor,

Community volunteers are an important link between formal health services and households.

The DRC continues facing a major Ebola emergency, with 7,475 confirmed cases and 3,605 deaths recorded by 16 September.

Development Alert continues supporting community volunteers through awareness, communication and preparedness activities.

Volunteers can help distribute accurate information, identify community concerns and connect families with appropriate health services.

However, we emphasize that volunteers must operate within safe boundaries. They should not diagnose Ebola, handle suspected cases or undertake activities requiring professional training and protective equipment.

Their most important role is communication and mobilization.

We encourage volunteers to maintain trust with households, respect confidentiality and avoid spreading unverified information.

They can also help reduce stigma by encouraging communities to support affected families rather than blaming them.

Community volunteers are especially valuable in rural areas where formal health services may be distant.

They can help ensure that public-health messages reach people who might otherwise be missed.

WHO's response relies on community engagement alongside surveillance, laboratory testing, infection prevention and clinical care.

Development Alert is helping strengthen this community-level layer of preparedness.

A well-informed volunteer can connect a household to the right information at the right time—and that connection can make a meaningful difference during an outbreak.