Communities and civil society as essential partners in Ebola response

More than a decade after the west African Ebola epidemic, and following numerous subsequent outbreaks, the epidemic caused by Bundibugyo virus is unfolding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite substantial investments in epidemic preparedness and the integration of community engagement into response frameworks, episodes of community resistance, mistrust, and contestation continue to emerge. These dynamics raise important questions. Why do lessons repeatedly identified as central to outbreak control remain difficult to operationalise in practice? To what extent do response actors continue to view affected populations as beneficiaries of interventions rather than as partners in the design and implementation of the response?