Distrust and ongoing conflict are hindering the response to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, particularly in the gold-mining town of Mongbwalu.

The epicenter of the Ebola outbreak is in Mongbwalu, a poor gold-mining town of 130,000 people, in Ituri province, in eastern Congo. <img alt="A health worker in protective equipment carries out safe burial procedures beside the coffin of a suspected Ebola victim outside a family home in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 24, 2026." src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8152x5437+0+0/resize/8152x5437!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.am...