Ebola Is Outrunning Congo’s Trust Faster Than Its Health System
Zawadi Kavira Musubao lost her father and sister to Ebola in eastern Congo. Local rumors suggested they were poisoned, while a pastor attributed the deaths to evil spirits. A traditional healer's potion failed to cure them. When she fell ill during a funeral, she was also told she had been poisoned. This lack of trust contributes to an outbreak that has spread across 66 health zones in eight provinces. The crisis has seen over 10,000 confirmed cases with nearly half resulting in death. This is the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the history of the country.
Zawadi Kavira Musubao, 27, lost her father and her sister to Ebola. Neighbours told her they had been poisoned. A pastor blamed evil spirits, and a healer’s potion did nothing. When she fell ill at the funeral, she was told she had been poisoned too. Her story is common in eastern Congo, and it helps explain why an outbreak past 10,000 confirmed cases, nearly half of them fatal, still spreads across 66 health zones in eight provinces. It is already the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history.