Administrative authorities in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo, are asking private clinics to receive suspected Ebola patients and refer them to public treatment centers [1].

This shift in strategy comes as local populations increasingly avoid public hospitals, threatening the containment of the virus and the stability of the treatment chain [2].

Bunia, located in the Ituri province of eastern DRC, has become a focal point for the 2026 outbreak [1, 2]. Health officials are now relying on private facilities to act as the first point of contact for sick individuals who refuse to enter government-run facilities [1, 3].

Fear and denial of the disease have driven this reluctance. Recent attacks on health facilities have further alienated the public, leading some patients to flee clinics entirely [4, 5]. A doctor at a Bunia hospital said, "There is denial of the disease within the population, with some members wanting to claim the bodies of suspected and/or confirmed cases" [4].

These challenges are complicating the broader regional response. Suspected Ebola deaths in the DRC have climbed above 220 [6]. The scale of the crisis has created a gap between the speed of the virus and the capacity of medical teams to intervene [6].

A World Health Organization spokesperson said, "The outbreak is outpacing responders" [6].

To maintain the treatment chain, authorities are urging private clinic staff to identify suspected cases early, and facilitate their transfer to the general hospital’s Ebola treatment centre [1, 2]. This cooperation is seen as essential to prevent the virus from spreading undetected through the community [2].

“"The outbreak is outpacing responders."”

The reliance on private clinics indicates a breakdown in trust between the Congolese public and state health infrastructure. When patients avoid public hospitals due to fear or security concerns, the official case count often underrepresents the actual spread of the virus, making containment significantly more difficult for international and local health organizations.