Bunia, September 27th, 2026 (CPA).- The Bahema North chiefdom, in Djugu Territory, Ituri Province, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, plans to step up Ebola awareness activities in several localities along the shores of Lake Albert in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic, the head of the customary entity announced Sunday. “We will launch Ebola awareness activities in the localities along Lake Albert, particularly Mbongi 2, Kafe and Torges. We have targeted these areas to raise public awareness of the seriousness of the disease, but also to encourage people to protect themselves against the epidemic,” said Willy Pilo, chief of the Bahema North chiefdom. He identified regular handwashing as one of the essential measures for preventing Ebola virus disease. “The most effective weapon against this epidemic, we repeat, is regular handwashing,” he stressed.
On this occasion, Mr. Pilo also welcomed the growing acceptance by part of the population in his chiefdom of Ebola response activities. “We are pleased to see that an increasing proportion of the population is embracing the response activities, unlike in previous periods, which were characterized by reluctance and mistrust towards the response team,” he recalled, before calling for compliance with the measure banning the transportation of bodies, particularly between affected areas and localities within the Bahema North chiefdom.
“We do not want bodies to be brought from Mongbwalu to Berunda or to other localities in my chiefdom, in order to prevent the spread of this disease,” he concluded.