During a strategic mission to Bunia, located in Ituri province, the Minister of Communication and Media, Patrick Muyaya, called for an “objective” assessment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo‘s initiatives to curb the Ebola epidemic. The virus is currently impacting the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu in the eastern region of the country.
In a joint briefing held on June 18, 2026, alongside the Minister of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Prevention, Roger Samuel Kamba, Patrick Muyaya addressed criticisms from various non-governmental organizations involved in the health response. He maintained that while the government welcomes feedback, the progress made on the ground deserves recognition. He acknowledged the existing hurdles but cautioned against alarmist rhetoric.
Transparency in the face of international criticism
“I do not wish to name the NGOs offering these critiques. We are operating with full transparency. As you have seen from the various participants today, no one was scripted. We are not claiming perfection, but we are fulfilling our duties,” stated the government spokesperson.
He pointed out that the DRC government took immediate responsibility by mobilizing its own financial resources before external aid arrived. Patrick Muyaya also clarified the nature of international funding, specifically addressing announcements made by foreign partners.
“The government did not wait for partners to act. To date, we have allocated 50 million USD from our own budget to lead by example. The funding you hear about from the United States government and other international entities does not go to the state; those funds are distributed directly to NGOs,” he explained.
The minister urged all stakeholders to prioritize collective responsibility, suggesting that some criticisms do not align with the realities observed in the field. He noted that some organizations might use the crisis to lobby for more resources and called for restraint, suggesting that the performance of these NGOs could also face scrutiny.
Focusing on measurable health outcomes
For his part, Roger Samuel Kamba, the Minister of Health, expressed his desire to move past controversy and focus on empirical data. “I prefer to stay focused on the facts,” he asserted, highlighting the indicators he uses to measure the success of the response.
“I am looking at the volume of tests conducted each month, the number of treatment centers established, the deployment of community workers, and the daily analysis of samples. Most importantly, I am tracking the number of patients who have recovered,” Roger Samuel Kamba added. He believes the final assessment of the response should be based on these concrete actions rather than rumors or attempts by certain groups to claim credit. According to him, a full evaluation will be possible once the crisis has been resolved.
The challenge of the Bundibugyo strain
On May 17, 2026, shortly after the official declaration of the outbreak in the DRC, the World Health Organization classified the Ebola outbreak—specifically the Bundibugyo virus which moved from the DRC toward Uganda—as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The epidemic has seen significant geographical spread, and its true scale may be larger than current figures suggest. Several factors complicate the situation, including high population mobility, fragile healthcare systems, inadequate infrastructure, and the difficulty of accessing regions plagued by conflict.
Furthermore, there is currently no approved vaccine or specific medical treatment for the Bundibugyo strain. Despite these daunting challenges, the authorities in the DRC remain confident, drawing on the extensive experience gained from successfully managing sixteen previous Ebola outbreaks in the country.
