Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo

What we do

Life can change in an instant. When it does, we are there.

When disasters and conflicts tear communities apart, Medair responds quickly because people’s lives are on the line. We work in highly unstable environments, going where the needs are greatest, providing life-saving support in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places.

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We save lives

In times of disaster, disease and conflict, we are ready within hours to deliver life-sustaining humanitarian aid.

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We restore hope

We help people in crisis have hope for the future by providing them the support they need to rebuild their lives.

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We partner generously

We work closely with other organisations and the communities we serve – acting out of a spirit of respect, compassion and dignity.

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Learn more about our work

Happening now

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Emergency

The DRC has faced years of overlapping emergencies — conflict, displacement, disease. Now Ebola has returned, striking communities in North Kivu and Ituri, two of the country's most unstable and hard-to-reach provinces. Hospitals are not equipped to deal with this situation. Roads are insecure. And the virus does not wait.

The WHO's declaration of a global health emergency, with 277 probable deaths and 1094 confirmed cases reported as of 22^th June, has triggered an international response — and Medair was already there.

We're currently supporting 46 health facilities. As soon as the outbreak was declared, we began implementing Ebola Response activities in these ones. We also have a track record of responding to disease outbreaks: the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo, COVID-19, Mpox in 2024, and we regularly respond to outbreaks of cholera, malaria, measles, and acute watery diarrhoea.

That same team is now fully mobilised in response to this Ebola crisis, responding with both speed and compassion.

No vaccine exists — human response is the only tool

"We are reaching an alarming stage of this crisis. But we will not give up. We are there to save lives." — Dr. Pierre-Olivier Ngadjole, Health & Nutrition Advisor – Medair DR Congo

‍‍We urgently need to intervene now: we need medicines, water treatment equipment, and therapeutic food to treat child malnutrition.

This outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved vaccine. With a fatality rate of up to 50%, rapid action to contain this outbreak is critical. This means that community-level response is the only tool available right now.

Together, we can bring life and hope.

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Courage in action: Medair's response on the ground

North Kivu and Ituri are among the most complex humanitarian environments in the world. Armed conflict, displacement, and distrust of Ebola Response activities make containing the outbreak extraordinarily difficult. Every day of delay costs lives.

Medair's agile, experienced teams are already in the field — but sustaining and scaling this response requires your support. This is a critical moment. Many people in the affected areas have been displaced from their homes by conflict and live in overcrowded informal settlements. The decisions made in the coming days and weeks will determine whether this outbreak is contained or whether it spreads further.