Working with communities to end Ebola
Gaining community trust and acceptance has proven a critical armour in
combatting the world’s second worst Ebola epidemic in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC)
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo, February 20, 2020/
-- “In some places they threw stones at us, but in others community leaders became engaged and fought alongside us for the
survival of their people,” says Dr Freddy Banza, an epidemiologist and
public health specialist with World Health Organization (WHO).
Gaining community trust and acceptance has proven a critical armour in
combatting the world’s second worst Ebola epidemic in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC). Dr Banza who coordinated Ebola response
operations in Mambasa, a small town in the northeast of the DRC is
keenly aware that without community collaboration, efforts to halt the
virus would come short.
In October 2019, after burying their kin suspected to have died of
Ebola, a family fled into the forest outside their village near Mambasa, recalls Dr Banza. Without seeking the help of the Ebola response team
responsible for safe and dignified burials, handling bodies without the
appropriate protection is an extremely dangerous undertaking.
However, risks of further infections were eased with the involvement of
the village chief. Having been educated about Ebola risks and working
closely with Ebola response teams, the chief set off to retrieve the
hiding family and brought them back for vaccination.
Ebola response teams have in several instances encountered communities
and families unwilling, and at times hostile, to collaborate in the
efforts to curb the virus. Increasingly involving communities and their
leaders in the response has helped improve the reach and impact of the
virus control.
Dr Ibrahima Socè-Fall, WHO Assistant Director-General for Emergencies,
is clear: “The end of the Ebola epidemic will require that communities
take ownership of the response.” For his part, Dr Banza adds, “When I
see communities get involved, it gives me the strength and motivation to keep working to save lives.”
Working to save lives has been Dr Banza’s passion from a young age.
Growing up in the Republic of Congo, he was deeply affected by the
maternal deaths he saw in his community and the critical lack of health
care. This led him to pursue medical studies. He first became an
attending physician, then a managing physician and finally an area chief in his native country before bringing his expertise as an
epidemiologist and public health specialist to other countries,
including Chad, Guinea, Haiti, Madagascar, Senegal and Zimbabwe.
He joined WHO in 2012 and in 2014 was part of the response team for the
West Africa Ebola outbreak, the world’s largest and most severe. When
the current outbreak in DRC was declared in August 2018, Dr Banza
quickly joined the team. “My greatest achievement will be to help bring
this Ebola epidemic to an end. And to be able to remind myself that
despite resistance, despite the difficulties encountered, we were able
to accomplish this, and that I contributed to the effort.”
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