Misinformation hinders Ebola containment efforts

As distrust spreads along with the virus, misinformation is hampering efforts to contain the deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Agence France-Presse reported that in a video widely circulated on the Internet, a woman who claimed to be from the Democratic Republic of Congo said: "There is no Ebola here, everyone is living well."

"The only place where Ebola appears is on social media and international media," she said.

The clip, which has been liked more than 41,000 times on social platform

Epidemiologist Hemes Nkwa said that just as with the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) epidemic, disinformation ranges from denying the existence of the disease to accusing authorities of fabricating the epidemic for financial gain.

Online and even in village squares, some blamed witchcraft for the sudden deaths, while others believed Ebola was a hoax meant to attract foreign aid.

The non-governmental organization ActionAid estimates that nearly a third of people in the northeastern province of Ituri (Ituri), which is at the center of the epidemic, do not believe that Ebola is real.

World Health Organization (WHO) Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that "misinformation is almost as dangerous as the virus itself and spreads at an alarming rate."

Saani Yakubu of ActionAid said misinformation was delaying treatment, with many patients seeking medical attention very late.

It also makes contact tracing more difficult, as families withhold information and public health officials fear making home visits.

Mamadou Kaba Barry of the NGO Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) told AFP that some aid workers and government workers were even attacked.

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

Epidemiologist Nkwa said that in addition to a lack of information, the problem also reflected a deeper crisis of trust.

"In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, several Ebola outbreaks have occurred against a backdrop of instability, political tension, poverty and sometimes chronic distrust of institutions," she said.

Nkwa told AFP that rumors fill a gap in the lack of information and help people rationalize their fears or regain a sense of control over the narrative.

The solution, Yakub said, is to rebuild trust by working closely with communities, including training ambassadors who can "share information in local languages."

Experts say community leaders, survivors and even traditional healers have a role to play, and Nkwa says they have "strong social credibility."