Antequera, 9 October 2026. Healthcare professionals from the Northern Health Area of Málaga have travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo to participate in a health intervention aimed at controlling the Ebola outbreak and other epidemic diseases.
This mission, which is being carried out in collaboration with Doctors of the World, focuses on the province of South Kivu, particularly in the health zones of Miti-Muherca and Katana. The healthcare workers are operating in an environment characterised by serious structural and humanitarian difficulties.
Objectives of the Intervention
The work of these professionals is focused on infection prevention and control. This translates into strengthening triage circuits in 14 health centres, with the aim of facilitating the detection and isolation of suspected Ebola cases. This task is complicated by the lack of protective equipment and adequate healthcare personnel.
During their stay, the healthcare workers are also responsible for training local staff in triage. To this end, they have developed a sensitive algorithm that allows for the identification of patients presenting with sudden fever, in a context where malaria is one of the main causes of mortality.
Additional Support Measures
As part of their work, the team has created a ten-point guide for infection prevention and control. This tool aims to ensure that healthcare personnel correctly apply procedures, emphasising the use of protective equipment and appropriate actions during patient care.
Furthermore, the mission also addresses the current cholera epidemic in the Katana area. Doctors of the World is working to improve access to drinking water by installing 20 chlorination points, as the lack of water is a critical issue in rural health centres.
During one of the visits, the team found that a health centre did not have enough water to prepare the necessary rehydration salts for cholera patients, so emergency water had to be brought in. To resolve this situation, water storage at the centre is being increased and rainwater harvesting is being considered.
It is also important to highlight that the intervention is taking place in a context where a measles epidemic is ongoing, which has required a childhood vaccination campaign. The weekly incidence of measles has begun to decline following the completion of this campaign.
This effort requires continuous coordination with local health authorities, other non-governmental organisations, and the managers of the referral hospital. The participation of the Northern Health Area of Málaga in this international mission highlights the commitment of its professionals to health cooperation and the improvement of response capacity to health emergencies in South Kivu.
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