Congo’s Ebola outbreak leaves grieving families struggling with fear and stigma

An Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has left grieving families struggling not only with the loss and illness of their loved ones, but also with intense fear and community stigma associated with the disease.

In Bunia, Congo, a local schoolteacher experienced this firsthand after learning that five of her family members had been diagnosed with the virus. Two of those infected subsequently died.

The situation highlights the compounded trauma faced by those affected, as the disease is viewed by some in the community as an evil, leading to widespread social ostracization of the victims' families during an already devastating crisis.