Belgian NGO Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (VSF-B) is using its community-based epidemic surveillance system in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to combat the spread of Ebola.
The DRC has recorded 598 confirmed Ebola cases centred around the epicentre of the current outbreak, tied to the Bundibugyo strain.
Since 2022, VSF-B and Médecins du Monde have established a continuous community surveillance system in eastern DRC, near the Kahuzi‑Biega National Park, a region particularly vulnerable to pandemics.
The operation is based on the One Health approach, which emphasises the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health, and is activated once health alerts are detected.
Under One Health, local actors carry out prevention and awareness activities at schools, churches, markets, and other community gathering points to limit the spread of the virus.
The team includes six private veterinarians and over 176 community animal health agents, all recruited from local communities, who monitor remote areas daily and report suspicious health incidents, including outbreaks.
Protective gear has been provided to healthcare personnel, along with handwashing stations and alcohol-based hand sanitisers in health facilities. Risk communication and community engagement are reinforced through messages broadcast on local radio stations.
The DRC has faced numerous zoonotic outbreaks, including mpox and brucellosis, in recent years, with six out of ten infectious diseases now originating from animals.
This trend has been exacerbated by ecosystem degradation and pollution.
