BUTEMBO, Congo (Azat TV) – In the Kitatumba neighbourhood of Butembo, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, 29-year-old Jerkis Mahamba puts on protective gear and steps into an isolation ward to comfort a crying child. Reuters reported in an article published by the Strait Times that Mahamba caught the highly infectious disease in September and recovered after an 18-day treatment course at the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) centre. His acquired immunity from the specific strain coursing through the region allows him to approach young patients directly at a time when parents are barred from touching them due to strict infection controls.
Congo is currently managing the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record. Health authorities have recorded over 10,000 infections and 5,100 deaths since the epidemic was declared in May. Within the isolation wards, children face intense fear, physical distress, and strict isolation protocols. Because relatives must watch from behind glass windows, survivors like Mahamba step in to bridge the emotional divide by holding, rocking, and playing with young patients until they fall asleep.
The Frontline Role of Recovered Patients
Before contracting the virus from a relative, Mahamba earned a living selling school supplies on the streets of Butembo, located near the Ugandan border. After his recovery, MSF hired him to join a growing network of survivors working inside treatment centres. While some recovered individuals focus on cleaning and disinfecting equipment, others serve as playmates, companions, and emotional pillars for patients struggling to eat or take medication.
Dr Toussaint Selemani, head of the MSF-run centre, noted that patients in isolation often experience severe fear of dying. When these vulnerable individuals meet someone who has endured the exact same ordeal and survived, it restores a vital sense of hope. Mahamba explains his background to young patients, telling them he went through the same illness and urging them to maintain their resolve.
Community Outreach and Security Risks
Beyond hospital walls, survivors operate as community ambassadors, visiting villages to dispel dangerous misinformation and reduce social stigma. Unfounded rumours claiming the epidemic is a foreign plot or that medical personnel actively spread the disease have severely hampered public health efforts. These tensions recently turned deadly when youths armed with machetes attacked two community health workers raising awareness, killing one and wounding another.
Dr Selemani emphasized that survivor testimonies carry unique weight in local communities, helping encourage symptomatic individuals to seek medical care promptly. Mahamba actively participates in this outreach by showing residents photographs of himself during his illness, combining personal testimony with infection prevention guidance to counter local skepticism and build trust across eastern Congo.