'There Is No Ebola Here': Online Misinformation Hinders DRC Outbreak Response

(Central News Agency, Paris, 11th Combined Foreign News) As distrust spreads alongside the virus, misinformation is hampering efforts to stop a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

According to an AFP report, in a widely circulated online video, a woman claiming to be in the DRC says, "There is no Ebola here. Everyone is doing well."

She says, "The only place where there is Ebola is on social media and international media."

The short video has garnered over 41,000 likes on the social media platform X, and is just one example of the vast amount of misinformation surrounding the latest outbreak, which has already claimed 115 lives in the DRC.

Epidemiologist Hemes Nkwa stated that, similar to the COVID-19 pandemic, the range of false information spans from denying the existence of the disease to accusing authorities of fabricating the outbreak for economic gain.

Online, and even in village squares, some attribute sudden deaths to witchcraft, while others believe Ebola is a hoax designed to attract foreign aid.

Non-governmental organization ActionAid estimates that in the northeastern Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, nearly one-third of people do not believe Ebola is real.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that "misinformation is almost as dangerous as the virus itself, and it spreads just as fast."

ActionAid's Saani Yakubu stated that misinformation is delaying treatment, with many patients seeking medical care very late.

This also makes contact tracing more difficult, as families withhold information and public health workers are afraid to conduct home visits.

Mamadou Kaba Barry of the non-governmental organization ALIMA (Alliance for International Medical Action) told AFP that some aid workers and government employees have even been attacked.

Experts say misinformation accompanies every Ebola outbreak, but has surged in recent years with the rise of social media.

Epidemiologist Nkwa said that besides a lack of information, the problem also reflects a deeper crisis of trust.

She said, "In the DRC, several Ebola outbreaks have occurred against a backdrop of instability, political tension, poverty, and sometimes a long-standing distrust of institutions."

Nkwa told AFP that rumors fill the information vacuum, helping people rationalize their fears or regain a sense of control over the narrative.

Yakubu stated that the solution lies in rebuilding trust by working closely with communities, including training ambassadors who can "share information in local languages."

Experts point out that community leaders, survivors, and even traditional healers can play a role, with Nkwa noting they have "strong social credibility."

She said, "When they become allies, their influence can significantly enhance the effectiveness of public health responses." (Translation by Liu Shuqin) 1150611