A woman addresses a sitting audience.
Noëlla Kambaja, community engagement officer at FHI 360, shares lifesaving information about Ebola prevention, symptoms, and when to seek care in Ituri province, DRC. Photo credit: Jehancy Amboka for FHI 360

Ebola outbreak response

Working with communities, governments, and partners to strengthen preparedness and response

In an Ebola outbreak, speed, trust and teamwork are essential to curbing the spread and saving lives. FHI 360 is contributing to the U.S. government’s comprehensive and rapid Ebola response, in partnership with the governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, and other countries in the region.

Through the U.S. government-funded STRIDES and EpiC projects, our teams are helping local leaders and organizations, health workers, and response partners to:

  • Expand laboratory and diagnostic capacity.
  • Strengthen surveillance and contact tracing.
  • Support infection prevention and control.
  • Implement safe and dignified burial practices.
  • Rapidly reach communities with trusted information.

Table of contents

Ebola response in the DRC and the region

The Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak continues to affect communities across DRC and other countries in the region. Thanks to support from the U.S. government, FHI 360’s STRIDES and EpiC projects are supporting the response through integrated, country-led activities designed to help stop transmission and strengthen public health systems where the needs are greatest.

How FHI 360 is responding

Expanding laboratory and diagnostic capacity

Fast, reliable testing is essential to identifying cases, caring for patients and reducing transmission. STRIDES is expanding decentralized Ebola diagnostics, strengthening laboratory systems, and improving specimen referral and transport in affected areas. Support includes providing fuel and transportation to move samples quickly to labs, delivering laboratory commodities and PPE, setting up handwashing stations, and delivering training for lab, frontline and health workers to support safe sample collection, handling, packaging and transport.

Strengthening surveillance and contact tracing

STRIDES, through our partner PATH, helps countries respond to Ebola outbreaks by strengthening surveillance systems, supporting rapid detection and follow-up of cases, and improving the quality and use of data for response planning. These efforts enable health authorities to identify risks earlier, target interventions more effectively, and make informed decisions that help stop transmission and save lives.

Supporting infection prevention and control

Health and frontline workers are often among the first people exposed during an Ebola outbreak. STRIDES and EpiC support infection prevention and control activities in households, health facilities and administrative offices by training health workers, lab staff, infection prevention and control staff, and response personnel on PPE use, waste management, biosafety and biosecurity, hand hygiene, chlorine preparation, environmental cleaning and surface disinfection.

Supporting safe and dignified burials

Safe and dignified burials are one of the most important ways to reduce Ebola transmission while respecting families, communities, and local traditions. EpiC is helping expand safe burial capacity by training teams, supporting transportation, providing supplies, and strengthening coordination.

Reaching communities with trusted information

During an outbreak, communities need clear information from people they trust. Through risk communication and community engagement, EpiC supports local leaders, women’s associations, journalists, traditional healers, parent associations and community members with the tools they need to rapidly share information, respond to rumors and help people seek care. We are supporting local radio spots in French and Swahili to share Ebola information.

Where we are working

STRIDES and EpiC are supporting the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and preparedness and response efforts across the region.

A map of Africa highlighting the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Photos from the frontlines of the response

A man helps a worker in PPE gear adjust their mask.
Dr. Felicien (left) adjusts the mask of an SDB team member as the team prepares to conduct an SDB at an Ebola treatment center in Rwampara health zone. Photo credit: Fetafeta Chamani Latouifa for FHI 360
A person holds a cooler next to a truck bed full of coolers.
A member of the STRIDES team handles a laboratory cooler during delivery. Photo credit: Fetafeta Chamani Latouifa for FHI 360
A man stands in front of a crowd outside of a general hospital.
In Rwampara, EpiC supported a guided visit to the Ebola Treatment Center for 22 journalists, giving them a closer look at case management, infection prevention and control measures and outbreak response operations. By seeing this work firsthand, journalists are better prepared to report accurately, address rumors and share information that can strengthen trust between communities and response teams. Photo credit: Fetafeta Chamani Latouifa for FHI 360
Six people wearing PPE gear during a demonstration while a small crowd watches.
Participants learn steps for the rigorous application of protective gloves during a workshop on how to properly wear, use, work with, and dispose of PPE. Photo credit: Fetafeta Chamani Latouifa for FHI 360
A technician in PPE gear sanitizes a container being held by another technician in PPE gear.
At a provincial-level lab in Mugbwalu, Ituri province, technicians disinfect a container of samples delivered by motorbike ​from a remote health post. Photo credit: Fetafeta Chamani Latouifa for FHI 360
A technician in PPE gear adjusts their goggles.
In Mugbwalu, a team member prepares to support a safe and dignified burial. Photo credit: Fetafeta Chamani Latouifa for FHI 360
A man walks through a crowd sitting in rows of chairs.
With traditional medicine as a primary source of health care for many people in Bunia, DRC, and surrounding areas, traditional healers are often the first point of contact when people are sick. EpiC trains traditional healers on Ebola symptoms and referral pathways to help connect suspected cases to appropriate care. Photo credit: Fetafeta Chamani Latouifa for FHI 360
Seven people pose in front of a hospital holding kits.
FHI 360 staff present kits including gloves, face shields, disinfectants and other supplies to the staff of Rwampara General Referral Hospital. Photo credit: Fetafeta Chamani Latouifa for FHI 360

Building stronger systems for the next outbreak

STRIDES and EpiC are supporting countries globally to prepare for an Ebola outbreak before it happens. Our support — to countries including Kenya, Malawi, Senegal and Zambia — helps assess strengths and needs of the health, laboratory and frontline response systems and fill gaps. We are also prepositioning Ebola-response supplies such as PPE and testing kits. Finally, we are supporting surveillance networks to ensure the outbreak is stopped at the source.

Emergency response is not only about the crisis at hand. It is also about strengthening systems that last. By supporting laboratories, surveillance networks, trained health workers, community engagement systems and coordinated response structures, FHI 360 helps countries prepare for future outbreaks and respond more quickly when they occur.

Featured story

FHI 360’s rapid response to the Ebola virus in the DRC

FHI 360 is delivering urgent support in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to help contain the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak, protect health workers and support communities affected by the crisis.
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A woman speaks at an ebola training in front of a group of people.

Contact us

For partnership opportunities, email partneringwithus@fhi360.org.
For media inquiries, email media@fhi360.org.

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