Key points:
- The United Methodist Church is working to deploy emergency relief efforts on the ground in East Congo, including community awareness campaigns within local churches to curb the spread of the disease.
- The head of the World Health Organization said May 26 that at least 220 people are now suspected to have died from the virus, and there are more than 1,000 suspected cases.
- Global Ministries’ Global Health Unit has released an initial grant of $20,000 to the church’s East Congo Health Board to support frontline interventions in and around the 10 United Methodist health facilities in Ituri Province, the outbreak’s epicenter.
The United Methodist Church in East Congo is mobilizing to respond to a fast-growing Ebola outbreak that has led to over 200 suspected deaths and more than 1,000 cases.
The Congolese government officially declared the 17th Ebola virus outbreak on May 15 in the health zones of Rwampara, Mongwalu and Bunia in Ituri Province. It has since spread to neighboring Uganda, where health authorities report seven infections to date.
The head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said May 26 that at least 220 people are now suspected to have died from the virus. He said he was “deeply concerned by the scale and speed” of the outbreak.
According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the situation is more concerning because there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment against the Bundibugyo strain, which is responsible for this new wave.
Faced with the virus’ rapid spread and the high risk of transmission to other neighboring countries, the WHO has classified the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern. The Africa CDC has declared a continental public health emergency, calling for immediate coordination among countries in the region.
The United Methodist Church is working to deploy emergency relief efforts on the ground, including extensive community education and awareness campaigns within local parishes to curb the spread of the disease.
Bishop Antoine Tambwe Kalema, who leads the Eastern Congo Episcopal Area, has directed all clergy and lay leaders to hold mandatory informational sessions every Sunday during worship services. At the same time, United Methodist medical teams have begun using available resources to set up emergency health facilities and distribute prevention supplies.
“I am deeply moved and grieved by this umpteenth Ebola outbreak striking our episcopal region of Eastern Congo, and more particularly our brothers and sisters of the Kivu Annual Conference,” he said. “I solemnly call on all members of the clergy and the laity to immediately adopt preventive measures.
“It is our pastoral duty to conduct awareness campaigns every Sunday in all our churches to stop the spread of this deadly disease.”
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The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries’ Global Health Unit has released an initial grant of $20,000 to the church’s East Congo Health Board to support critical frontline interventions in and around the 10 United Methodist health facilities in Ituri Province, the epicenter of the outbreak.
Priority actions will focus on prevention and control, including the distribution of handwashing kits, providing personal protective equipment, training healthcare staff, and supplying essential medication.
The Ituri Province is a strategic region with a troubled history. Mongwalu, in particular, is a major gold-mining area characterized by high population mobility, which complicates contact tracing for patients. Bunia, the provincial capital, and Rwampara are major commercial hubs where population density and transport flows to the neighboring regions are major factors in the rapid spread of the virus.
The response also has been hampered by attacks on medical facilities and fleeing patients, as people in the region express fear and frustration, with some denying that the disease exists. The area already is destabilized by ongoing violence between the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda.
Dr. Damas Lushima, health coordinator for the church’s East Congo Health Board, urges the faithful not to give into panic.
“A contingency plan is currently being developed,” Lushima said. “We are making do with the resources at our disposal. This Sunday, we visited several local churches to encourage people to strictly adhere to preventive measures.”
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On the ground, church leaders also are mobilizing. The Rev. Germain Masinda, superintendent of the Beni District, is asking United Methodists in Bunia, Beni and Butembo to be vigilant, report any suspected cases and avoid physical contact with sick or deceased individuals.
“Thanks to our past experience in the fight against Ebola, we know the life-saving measures,” he said. “We are appealing to people of good will to help us set up handwashing stations in front of every local church.”
The superintendent of the Goma District, the Rev. Henry Jean Robert Kasongo Numbize, reported that Rwanda has closed its borders with Goma and Bukavu to prevent the spread of the virus. He is calling on the faithful to protect their loved ones by raising awareness about the outbreak.
Bishop Kalema calls on the worldwide United Methodist community and its partners to come together with prayers and support.
“I call on all United Methodists around the world and our partners to mobilize. We must stand together and think of the people of Kivu who have already suffered for too long due to insecurity and the incessant wars in the region,” he said. “May the Lord God come to our aid.”
Kituka Lolonga is the communicator for the Kivu Annual Conference.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at newsdesk@umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
