'I am afraid of dying', Congolese fear Ebola outbreak will spread

Fear of Ebola spread across parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo this week, as residents from cities hundreds of kilometres apart began wearing face masks and calling for stronger protections against the latest outbreak of the deadly virus.

Twenty-six more suspected Ebola deaths were recorded in 24 hours in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said on Tuesday (May 19), and the head of the World Health Organization expressed deep concern about the outbreak's spread.

The new deaths brought the total number of fatalities associated with the outbreak in eastern DRC to 131. There have been 543 suspected cases and 33 confirmed cases in DRC, according to Congolese health authorities, and two confirmed cases in neighbouring Uganda.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus a public health emergency of international concern on Saturday, the first time a WHO chief has done so before convening an emergency committee.

The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine, increasing concern among residents who remember previous Ebola outbreaks that killed thousands in eastern Congo.

In the city of Bukavu and the capital, Kinshasa, some residents and vendors continue their business with fear of becoming infected through daily contact with customers.

“I only ask that we stay clean wherever we go in order to avoid this disease because it kills many people,” said Marie Evuto, a street vendor in the capital, Kinshasa. “We could see deaths again like during coronavirus time.”

Others, like Delphin Luwa, a motorbike driver from Bukavu, said the president of the DRC should find a solution and avoid an outbreak like previous ones that killed many people.

“If you (the president) allow it to return agains and kill the population once more, it will be terrible,” he said. “That is why we are asking you to find a solution this time and send us vaccines in order to save human lives.”

Ugandan authorities have started restricting movement across the Ishasha-Kyeshero border crossing, Ambrose Amanyire Mwesigye, a local government official, told Reuters, though he said the border was not formally closed.

Further south, Congolese people trying to cross into Rwanda from the cities of Goma and Bukavu were being stopped at the border, Reuters reporters said. Rwandan officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Production: Erikas Mwisi, Benoit Nyemba, Victoire Mukenge, Ndiaga Thiam, Ngouda Dione/Reuters