More than one hundred days after the outbreak was declared, Ebola has now claimed more than 2,500 lives across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Red Cross volunteers are doing all they can to fight this disease, with more than 900 volunteers reaching more than 100,000 people. Yet across communities, our volunteers find that not only are they fighting Ebola; they are also fighting misinformation.
Trust is essential when tackling the outbreak of a deadly and infectious disease, but when fear takes hold, misinformation can spread just as quickly as the virus itself. Without trust, people are less likely to seek medical help when symptoms appear, and less likely to follow public health advice, report cases, or support efforts to stop transmission.
