Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is scaling up its response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, specifically in the provinces of Ituri and Tshopo. The organisation has been operating an Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) at Hôpital du Cinquantenaire in Kisangani, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, since June 2026. In early September, patients were transferred to a new 22-bed ETC, built and run by MSF, increasing treatment capacity in Kisangani.
In Nia Nia, a remote town in Ituri province, MSF teams started working alongside the Ministry of Health at the ETC in the local hospital in early August. This week, MSF opened a new 50-bed Ebola Treatment Center next to the hospital, further expanding access to Ebola care in the area. The two locations are closely connected, with significant movement of people and goods between Ituri, Tshopo, and Haut-Uele provinces. This has facilitated the spread of the disease, with 13 of the 14 positive cases recorded in Kisangani having an epidemiological link to Nia Nia.
Nia Nia has become a major focus of the outbreak in southern Ituri, with the town recording its first cases at the end of June. However, the response has faced significant challenges, including limited access to healthcare, gaps in infection prevention and control, and fear and misinformation within the community. MSF teams began working in Nia Nia in early August, and as of September 1, the Nia Nia Ebola Treatment Center had admitted 85 people with symptoms matching Ebola, with 59 confirmed cases and 15 deaths.
MSF has implemented measures to address the challenges in Nia Nia, including the construction of a new 50-bed ETC with 16 beds for suspected cases and 34 for confirmed cases. The new centre is designed to provide safer and more effective care, with the necessary protocols and bio-safety measures to treat patients with Ebola. According to Miriam Alia, MSF medical coordinator, "In an Ebola treatment centre, what we can do is care for the individual patient, but epidemics are stopped in the community."
During the first weeks of the outbreak in Nia Nia, fewer patients were reaching the ETC than the number of confirmed deaths reported in the community. Many people remained at home rather than seeking care, due to fear and misinformation. However, there are now signs of change, with more people reaching the treatment centre alive and receiving early, supportive treatment. According to Alia, "Three weeks ago, we started receiving patients rather than only alerts about deaths in the community."
The response in Nia Nia has faced strong resistance, with rumours and misinformation fuelling fear. Health workers were threatened, and an earlier treatment centre in the region was attacked and destroyed on June 30. MSF teams are working with community leaders, health workers, and other local organisations to understand concerns, address misinformation, and build acceptance of the response. Maurice, a recovered Ebola patient treated by MSF in Kisangani, shared his experience, highlighting the need for community engagement.
The link between Nia Nia and Kisangani underscores the importance of containing the outbreak in hard-to-reach areas. MSF is expanding its capacity in both locations, but treatment centres alone cannot stop Ebola. Surveillance, testing, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, early isolation, treatment, and community engagement all need to work together to reduce transmission and ensure that communities, such as Nia Nia, are not left behind.
Key points
- MSF is expanding Ebola treatment centres in Kisangani and Nia Nia to address the growing outbreak.
- The organisation is working to address fear and misinformation in the affected communities.
- Containing the outbreak in hard-to-reach areas is critical to preventing further spread.
