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Peer-reviewedCC BYJournal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health

When communities resist: The critical role of risk communication and community engagement in the 2026 Ebola outbreak response

  • Joseph Magoola1
  • Rachel Chelimo1
  • Edger Ampaire1
  • Derrick Kimuli2
  1. 1African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Kampala, Uganda
  2. 2Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Kampala, Uganda
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Abstract

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda has highlighted a persistent but often underappreciated challenge in outbreak response: disease control cannot succeed without community trust. Reports of attacks on Ebola treatment centres, hostility toward health workers and burial teams, and the escape of suspected patients from treatment facilities demonstrate how fear and mistrust can undermine outbreak control efforts. Drawing on lessons from previous Ebola outbreaks, this commentary argues that Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) should be recognised as a core public health intervention rather than a supporting activity. Sustained investment in trust-building, community participation, social science expertise, and community feedback systems is essential for effective outbreak preparedness and response. In Ebola response, trust is not merely a communication objective; it is a lifesaving intervention.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{magoola2026when,
  title = {{When communities resist: The critical role of risk communication and community engagement in the 2026 Ebola outbreak response}},
  author = {Joseph Magoola and Rachel Chelimo and Edger Ampaire and Derrick Kimuli},
  journal = {Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.37432/jieph-d-26-00180},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.37432/jieph-d-26-00180},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - When communities resist: The critical role of risk communication and community engagement in the 2026 Ebola outbreak response
AU  - Joseph Magoola
AU  - Rachel Chelimo
AU  - Edger Ampaire
AU  - Derrick Kimuli
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/01
JO  - Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health
DO  - 10.37432/jieph-d-26-00180
UR  - https://doi.org/10.37432/jieph-d-26-00180
AB  - The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda has highlighted a persistent but often underappreciated challenge in outbreak response: disease control cannot succeed without community trust. Reports of attacks on Ebola treatment centres, hostility toward health workers and burial teams, and the escape of suspected patients from treatment facilities demonstrate how fear and mistrust can undermine outbreak control efforts. Drawing on lessons from previous Ebola outbreaks, this commentary argues that Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) should be recognised as a core public health intervention rather than a supporting activity. Sustained investment in trust-building, community participation, social science expertise, and community feedback systems is essential for effective outbreak preparedness and response. In Ebola response, trust is not merely a communication objective; it is a lifesaving intervention.
SN  - 2664-2824
ER  -