Democratic Republic of Congo: Providing mental health support for Ebola disease patients and their loved ones
Kasoki Zawadi sits on a plastic chair in the MSF-supported Kitatumba Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) in Butembo, North Kivu. She faces her husband Victoire, separated by a plastic screen. Victoire smiles from time to time. He has Ebola disease andhas been hospitalized for 13 days.
In Butembo, 1,472 Ebola disease cases were confirmed and 735 deaths recorded between May and 22 October 2026.
The outbreak is impacting people already facing insecurity and economic hardship. Many families are sheltering relatives displaced by fighting in neighbouring areas, while movement restrictions and reduced trade have made daily life even harder.
At the ETC, MSF psychologists support both the patients and their loved ones as they cope with fear, uncertainty and the wait for test results. .
Every morning, Kasoki arrives at around 6:30am and stays until 6:30pm. Her brother-in-law takes over at night. “We manage to communicate despite the window,” she says. “We’re allowed to see each other, and this brings us comfort.”
Since her Victoire was admitted, she has stopped working as a teacher. Their family is supporting them during this time. She also worries about her own health. And when she leaves the ETC, the separation weighs heavily on her.
“In the evening, when I go home and can’t see my husband, I find it hard to sleep,” she says.
A few days later, Kasoki explains that a negative test result had given them hope that they would soon be able to go home. But a second test came back positive. “When he tested positive again, we were exhausted, mentally and physically,” she says. “Fortunately, the psychologists’ support helped us feel calmer, and we managed to wait.”
Staying in touch during hospitalisation
Ebola disease and hospitalization can be distressing for both patients and their loved ones. In Butembo, mental health activities supervisor Patrice Muyisa Kokotz provides psychological support and says people not only fear the disease, but also what awaits them at the ETC.
We give them time to express themselves, talk about their past and their emotions,” Patrice says. His team explains how the ETC works, the care provided, and how visits are organised. “
Ebola disease is traumatic and sudden; it is a viral illness,” says Rachel Kashimoto, a clinical psychologist working with MSF in Beni, North Kivu. “So you are under stress, always expecting death at any moment. If you are not mentally stable and not well cared for, even physically, things may not go well. But if you are mentally stable, well supported and well monitored, there will also be physical improvement. Because when you have hope of recovering, you follow all the instructions the medical staff give you, and then there can be rapid improvement.”
Supporting the return home
Psychological support does not end when patients leave the ETC.“We organise individual consultations as well as group discussions,” says Phoebe Zueya Yonkeu, who manages mental health activities at MSF’s ETC in Mongbwalu, Ituri. “Many tell us they faced stigma when they returned home, lost their jobs or were rejected by their communities, who believed they were still contagious. Others feel guilty towards loved ones who did not survive the disease, and they even wonder whether they were the ones who infected them.”
While some patients face stigma after leaving the ETC and the trauma of having come close to death, returning home can also bring immense relief to them and their loved ones.
In Butembo, on the twenty-third day of Victoire’s hospitalization, Victoire and Kasoki learn that he can now return home. The positive result, following the first negative result, prolonged their wait, but he has since tested negative twice. “Kasoki’s presence really is part of my care,” Victoire says. “I feel comforted. When I see her, it reduces my stress.”
