Faith leaders are “standing in the gap between medical institutions and communities” as the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa continues to spread, according to Christian aid agency Tearfund.
The charity has launched an urgent appeal for support, warning that churches and local faith networks are playing a critical frontline role in sharing life-saving guidance and helping prevent a wider humanitarian disaster.
Poppy Anguandia, Tearfund’s country director for the Democratic Republic of Congo, said faith leaders are helping bridge gaps between communities and health services, especially in areas where access to healthcare and clean water remains limited.
“Faith leaders are standing in the gap between medical institutions and communities, helping to share life-saving guidance to help stop the spread,” she said. “This response is urgent, but we need more funds to act now.”
Her comments come as more than 900 suspected Ebola cases, including 101 confirmed infections, have now been identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The WHO has warned that the outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, remains a public health emergency of international concern, with the risk of wider transmission considered “very high”.
Neighbouring Uganda has also confirmed new cases, prompting intensified contact tracing efforts as authorities try to contain the spread.
Tearfund said it is working with local partners and faith leaders to distribute hygiene kits, improve sanitation, support health clinics and share prevention advice in affected communities.
Anguandia warned that many people face impossible choices because of severe shortages in basic resources.
“In the DRC people often have to choose between water to drink or water to wash their hands,” she said. “Many people don’t have access to running water and often have to walk for miles to collect even a small amount.”
The organisation says urgent funding is needed to expand its response as the outbreak develops.
The charity said faith communities have already played a significant role in previous Ebola responses. During the 2018–2020 Ebola crisis, Tearfund worked alongside health centres to establish triage and isolation units, improve access to clean water and install sanitation facilities.
Working with local churches and faith leaders, the organisation also led large-scale awareness campaigns that included church announcements, door-to-door education and Ebola prevention songs broadcast in local languages and performed by choirs.
Faith leaders trained by Tearfund helped communities understand the importance of handwashing, recognising symptoms early and carrying out safe burials, efforts that also helped reduce fear and stigma surrounding Ebola survivors.
