When an Ebola outbreak was declared in the Bulape health zone, part of Mweka territory, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last September, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was among the first to arrive.

This marks the 16th Ebola outbreak in DRC since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976. This is not the first time Mweka territory has faced an Ebola outbreak—MSF also supported responses to previous outbreaks in the area in 2007 and 2008.

In collaboration with the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health, our staff worked to assess the situation and support immediate response efforts. We provided emergency support to Bulape General Hospital and set up a temporary treatment facility to admit patients. As needs grew, we built a new, more suitable treatment center and established a transit center for patients with suspected but unconfirmed cases.

In the weeks that followed the initial outbreak, we continued to treat patients with suspected and confirmed cases of Ebola. Our teams worked to raise disease awareness, trained health care workers in safe and effective Ebola response, and stood ready to assist in rapid vaccination efforts.

A swift, coordinated response is vital to stop disease outbreaks before they spread. Will you make a donation today to help our MSF teams further their ability to provide emergency care wherever the need arises?

After several weeks of continued collaboration with our local partners, the number of suspected patients admitted to the Bulape Ebola treatment center dropped sharply. When the last patient was discharged from the Ebola treatment center on October 19, the outbreak could be declared under control. MSF staff were able to successfully conclude our response in Bulape and hand over treatment activities and infrastructure to the local health authorities.

This is what you make possible. With the support of donors like you, we are ready to respond swiftly and effectively wherever the next disease outbreak occurs. Will you make a donation today to help ensure MSF can go where other organizations can’t—or won’t—to provide emergency medical treatment?

Thank you for being a part of our global humanitarian movement,

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières USA