Anxiety Mounts Among Parents and Teachers as DR Congo Starts School Year Amid Record Ebola Outbreak

Pupils in Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are returning to classes as a new academic year begins while the country grapples with its largest Ebola outbreak on record, sparking deep concern among parents and teachers in the worst-hit province of Ituri. According to government figures released on August 31, confirmed cases reached 6,041 with 2,911 deaths, surpassing the previous worst outbreak from 2018 to 2020. Out of 26 provinces, six are affected, with Ituri in the northeast serving as the epicentre, recording 4,802 confirmed cases as of August 26.

In Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, parents are questioning the safety of reopening schools during the continued spread. Dieudonne Lotsima, a resident and father of three, expressed his worries about the government's protective measures and believes classes should be postponed until a specific vaccine for the outbreak virus becomes available. He noted that children might struggle to maintain hygiene practices like handwashing, potentially putting their entire households at risk.

The current outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo virus, which differs from the Zaire ebolavirus responsible for most prior outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Currently, no approved vaccine or treatment exists specifically for Bundibugyo virus disease, while the Ervebo vaccine is only administered to front-line health workers and its effectiveness against this strain remains unestablished. The World Health Organization is backing a clinical trial to evaluate potential protection against the strain.

To manage the reopening, the government has avoided a nationwide closure, opting instead for risk-based measures established by the Ministry of Education. Raissa Malu, the minister of education, stated that 40 of the country's 138 educational subdivisions in Ebola-affected provinces are impacted, with 18 classified as high risk. The government categorized areas into green, orange, and red. In the highest-risk red zones, students will study from home using printed worksheets and radio programmes distributed by the ministry, rather than relying on internet-based learning.

Despite these steps, skepticism persists among locals. Catherine Neema, a mother of two in Bunia, expressed reluctance to send her children to school due to the risk of close contact and transmission. Similarly, the Ituri 1 Teachers' Inter-Union Committee argued that conditions remain unsafe. Union member Budju Lobo Isaac emphasized that schools require essential health measures, including handwashing facilities, hand sanitiser, thermal scanners, and teacher support, before resuming classes.

Education officials in Ituri have begun training staff to recognize risky behaviors and promote prevention. Jean-Baptiste Ngona Kivi, acting head of the General Education Service in the Ituri 1 educational province, noted that trained inspectors and officials will instruct headteachers and teachers on Ebola protection techniques. Meanwhile, Professor Yap Boum, incident manager at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention for the response to the Bundibugyo outbreak, highlighted that schools can also serve as a valuable channel for children to share vital health awareness with their families at home.