In Goma, MSF teams provide care for people showing symptoms consistent with Ebola disease or other viral hemorrhagic fevers, as well as individuals identified as contacts of suspected or confirmed cases.
The Munigi Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC is dedicated to the isolation and treatment of suspected cases, and currently has a capacity of up to 72 beds, which is constantly adjusted based on the evolution of the situation. Our goal is to interrupt transmission and limit the spread of the virus through the systematic isolation of individuals presenting symptoms consistent with the disease.
Upon admission, patients receive care from medical and support teams, including treatment focused on managing symptoms, as well as psychosocial support. Two laboratory tests are conducted to confirm or rule out Ebola infection before decisions are made regarding further care or discharge. The centre is organized into distinct zones, with dedicated areas for patients awaiting test results and for those whose infection has been confirmed.
Daniella, 10 years old
The youngest of four children, Daniella, was identified as a suspected Ebola case in late May 2026. She was admitted to the Ebola Treatment Centre in Munigi, in the city of Goma, where she remained under care for nine days.
“When the first symptoms appeared, we took her to the hospital for diagnosis. Fever, diarrhea, muscle pain—she had all the signs suggesting Ebola disease. The doctors decided to transfer her to the treatment centre,” recalls her father, Ishaka Mbitse.
Each suspected case announcement often throws families into fear, further compounded by tensions and rumours in the community.
“We had no choice when the doctors decided to take her there,” says Daniella’s mother, Riziki Sekushago. “I was terrified. I thought I would never see her again so soon […] It was hard hearing neighbours say over and over that we were crazy to let our child go there, that the health workers would kill her or give her the disease. It also hurt to see her in that small room and to return home alone at night without her […] But I was relieved to see her improving.”
“When the results finally came back negative, my husband and I felt an immense sense of relief. Our joy was indescribable. I was finally able to hold Daniella in my arms and breathe again.”
To this day, the virus continues to circulate in the eastern part of the country. In response to the spread of the disease, Daniella’s family has chosen, since her discharge from the treatment centre, to engage in community awareness efforts to counter rumours and support the work of medical teams.
“Before this experience, I had many doubts about the disease and about Ebola Treatment Centres. I thought the disease was fabricated and that the centre must be hiding something else […] I was wrong. If you are still hesitating to go to a health facility when you have symptoms, you should go. That is the only way to protect your family and yourself,” Daniella’s mother concludes.
Isaac Kambere Luendo, Head of Nursing at the Ebola Treatment Centre
With experience from working during the 2019 Ebola disease outbreak, Isaac has chosen to put his experience back at the service of his community. He now leads the nursing teams at the Ebola Treatment Centre in Munigi, Goma. Born and living in Goma himself, joining the response was above all a duty to his community: “I am with my people, whom I also wanted to help.”
For Isaac, the role of a nurse is more than just dispensing medicines: it means a constant presence at the patient’s bedside, an absolute commitment to quality of care, and continuous vigilance in ensuring the implementation of infection prevention and control measures. Whether guiding staff through the rigorous donning procedure or ensuring a safe patient environment, his goal is clear: to break chains of transmission and protect health workers, patients, and their families.
But on the ground, the struggle is not only medical. While some people are beginning to accept the reality of the outbreak, significant resistance remains in parts of the community. “A large part of the population believes it is an imported disease, and accepting that their family member should be isolated is difficult,” Isaac explains.
Faced with this mistrust, he and the teams on the ground deploy an equally essential tool alongside treatment: health awareness activities. By engaging in continuous dialogue to transform fear into understanding, Isaac reminds us that trust remains the cornerstone of the response: “It is a challenge ahead of us, and we must overcome it.”
Habimana Benjamin, 30 years old
“I had headaches, chronic fatigue, and vomiting blood. All signs suggesting the disease […] With the little strength I still had, I took myself to the health centre, without any pressure or influence from anyone.”
Benjamin is a father and a secondary school teacher in Goma, North Kivu. While teaching his students, he was struck by the first symptoms resembling Ebola disease.
Rather than giving in to fear or denial, he chose to act immediately by going on his own to a health centre, before being transferred to the Munigi Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC), managed by MSF.
After a week of care and ultimately negative test results, Benjamin returned home to his family. Today, he uses his voice and profession to lead another fight: raising awareness. For him, schools are the first line of defence against the outbreak.
“As a teacher, I am responsible for raising awareness among my students. Today, I act as a sensitiser so that they adopt preventive measures and seek care as soon as symptoms appear. If we go early, we have a chance to recover.”
Trésor Tchomba Musikila, 30 years old
At 30, Trésor Tchomba Musikila saw his daily life turn upside down on the way back to Goma, while returning with his teammates after an inter-club football tournament in Butembo, where the highest number of cases were reported in North Kivu.
“The atmosphere on the bus was cheerful and relaxed.” It was during a health screening in Nyiragongo territory that the journey came to an abrupt halt. Stopped and placed under observation for a quarantine period, Trésor began developing a high fever after several days. Faced with this warning sign, medical teams immediately decided to transfer him to the MSF Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) in Munigi. What followed were several days of strict medical monitoring, long hours of uncertainty, and a stressful waiting period.
“I have never seen anything like it,” he says, still marked by what he witnessed inside the facility. Eventually, laboratory results came back confirming that he was not infected with the virus: his diagnosis was ruled out and was discharged from the centre.
“Although I initially had a fever, I was otherwise in good health. That was not the case for all the people I saw there. Some were in much worse condition.”
While his close family and immediate neighbours welcomed him back with relief and open arms, overjoyed to see him alive and well, returning to normal social life proved to be a second ordeal. Trésor’s experience perfectly illustrates the invisible reality of this outbreak in the east of the country. Even when laboratory results are negative and patients are confirmed not to have the disease, the mere suspicion of having entered an Ebola Treatment Centre can trigger immediate stigma.
Mirella Riccardi – Head of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
“When a person arrives here, they are afraid. They know nothing about what is going to happen to them. If we do not listen to them, if we do not take the time to receive their frustrations and anxieties, they feel deeply alone […] Mental health is the bridge that connects patients, families, and medical teams.”
In our Ebola Treatment Centres (ETCs), medical care is accompanied by mental health support. In Goma, Mirella Ricardi leads the team in charge of mental health care. Her role, and that of her psychologist colleagues, begins from the very first moment a patient crosses the threshold of the facility.
“Our priority is to assess their emotional state and to put words to the unknown,” Mirella explains. “We explain to them why they are here, how we are going to take care of them, and what the next steps will be. This is how we build what we call the therapeutic alliance: a relationship of mutual trust.”
But Mirella’s work does not stop within the centre’s walls. The team operates on three levels: with the patient, their family, and accompanying persons. Indeed, while the virus affects the body, it can also fracture social ties.
“The biggest challenge is the stigma linked to Ebola. Although the country has already been severely affected by many Ebola outbreaks in previous years, rejection remains systematic. […] There is fear of the virus, but also fear of the care. People wonder: ‘What are they doing to me in there?’”
Integrating mental health support allows the medical response to be adapted to the human realities on the ground. By listening to the fears and concerns of families, Mirella and her team provide a space of support that helps break patient isolation and facilitates acceptance of medical protocols.
