CAFOD launches Ebola appeal as the disease spreads

Ebola illustration: safe burial. Image: CDC Global

Source: CAFOD

CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) has launched a fundraising appeal in response to the threat of Ebola. The spread of the disease has been described as 'deeply alarming' by health officials.

Managing a deadly and highly contagious disease is always challenging. But in a country gripped by a long-running conflict, with a barely functional healthcare system, amid international aid cuts - this is a crisis pushed to extremes.

With the earliest hope of a vaccine still months away, it's feared this outbreak could rival the largest Ebola crisis ever.

The West Africa outbreak which began in 2014, took more than two years to bring under control, and claimed more than 11,000 lives.

Head of Africa Region, Kayode Akintola, who was working in Sierra Leone when Ebola hit in 2014, said: "The situation today is very worrying. Recent aid cuts will make managing this outbreak so much harder than before. With the right resources, it is possible to limit the spread of Ebola, and get treatment to those who become infected. But speed is critical, and people in the Democratic Republic of Congo need help, now."

Thirty-years of war and growing inequality means trust - or the lack of it - is a major issue in DRC, complicating efforts to limit the spread of the disease.

Faith-based organisations are often able to help, through trusted relationship networks that can bridge barriers. Church leaders played a key role during the country's previous Ebola outbreak, including:

· dispelling misinformation, increasing safety and reducing stigma

· promoting handwashing and providing hygiene kits

· PPE for healthcare workers

· conducting burials that are safe and dignified

CAFOD partners on the ground are delivering aid and personal protective equipment. Our staff are working with them through local communities and their networks, via positive relationships established over decades.

CAFOD Director and CEO, Christine Allen, was in DRC during the previous outbreak there, and said: "I've seen firsthand that halting the spread of this appalling disease requires a massive effort, on the part of the international community as well as the Congolese people and health authorities. What is critical is building trust within communities, meaning that the work of our local Church partners is essential."

Colleagues over the border in South Sudan are monitoring the situation there, after the country was placed on high alert. Uganda's border with DRC has been closed, and is likely to remain so for several weeks, although exceptions will be made for authorized Ebola response teams and humanitarian operations. The country's Catholic Bishops have cancelled a large pilgrimage event due to take place at the national Cathedral in Kampala on Wednesday (3 June).

CAFOD is closely monitoring the Ebola situation with our staff and partners in the region. Extra funding has been released, and further updates will follow as we are able.

For more information on CAFOD's work across Africa visit: www.cafod.org.uk.

Donate to CAFOD's Emergency Ebola Appeal here: https://cafod.org.uk/news/emergencies-news/ebola-outbreak-in-drc