Churches and aid groups are urgently mobilising as a vaccine-resistant strain of the viral hemorrhagic fever Ebola spreads across parts of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“The Anglican Archbishop has sent a pastoral letter to all dioceses asking Christians across the country to take immediate steps in disease prevention – washing of hands, not touching dead bodies, being careful in social interactions,” says Sydney’s Bishop for International Relations, Malcolm Richards.
The bishop is on a pastoral visit to the DRC, in the east-central province of Maniema, whereas the main outbreak areas have been in the northeast.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which is distinct from the more common Zaire virus of Ebola in that there is no approved vaccine and no approved treatment. This makes the outbreak urgent and extremely challenging to control.
“There is a lot of concern across the country about the possibility of spreading the disease,” Bishop Richards says.
“This is because, despite poor roads etc, there has been a huge increase in the number of motorbikes taking people across huge distances from one area to another – often four to six people on one motorbike!”
“There are also some cases around Butembo where Bishop Isesomo of North Kivu is based, plus isolated reports of infection in Goma and in South Kivu. One complication is that M23 rebels control huge parts of those provinces and while the DRC government has the expertise and experience to work with international agencies to control Ebola, M23 does not have this experience and it’s difficult for agencies to work with a rebel group.”
The bishop also reports that authorities are concerned that in the declared area, parts of the population believe conspiracy theories about Ebola.
“They don’t believe it exists and is a creation of international health organisations to make money,” he says. “So, when people die, they are angry when the body is not released for burial.”
Thankfully, Bishop Richards says life is still normal in some parts of the country.
“We have just run two pastors’ conferences in different parts of the Diocese of Kindu and I have preached at two large confirmation services where Archbishop Masimango asked me to confirm a total of around 150 people. But please pray for those dioceses that are on the front line.”
The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid is working with partners Life In Abundance and the Anglican Church to help affected areas. The Église Anglicane du Congo runs 90 health centres across the country. To help, visit https://anglicanaid.org.au/donate/
Anglican Aid’s prayer for the Ebola outbreak
Heavenly Father,
You are our healer. You restore the sick and comfort people in their suffering.
We bring before you the Ebola virus outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda. Please be with local authorities and the World Health Organisation as they seek to respond rapidly and effectively. Give them wisdom as they make decisions, provide them with the resources needed for treatment, and help them contain the spread. Protect health workers from the virus and keep them healthy.
For those who are sick, we ask that you would heal them. Give them access to treatment and skilled medical staff. Comfort them in their pain. For those who are suffering the loss of a loved one, be with them in their grief. Make your love known and provide for their daily needs.
We also pray for the church in the regions of DR Congo and Uganda affected by this outbreak, particularly Anglican Aid’s partners. Please give your people opportunities to share Christ’s love as they help the sick and comfort those who are living in fear of being infected.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.