The World Health Organization has developed a package of technical resources to support community protection during the response to Bundibugyo virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring countries.
The resources provide practical guidance for protecting affected populations, maintaining essential services and strengthening community participation in preparedness and response. Together, they address the three objectives of WHO’s community protection approach: risk communication and community engagement; population and environmental public health interventions; and multisectoral action for social and economic protection.
Protecting displaced populations
Public health advice on Bundibugyo virus disease for internally displaced people, refugees and migrants living in camps or camp-like settings provides context-specific recommendations on transmission, access to care, infection prevention and control, water, sanitation and hygiene, safe and dignified burials, mental health and psychosocial support, stigma, and protection of vulnerable populations and the health workforce.
The guidance emphasizes adapting measures to local conditions in consultation with displaced populations, host communities and camp authorities. Meaningful engagement and effective feedback mechanisms are central to identifying acceptable and practical solutions.
Protecting health care and maintaining services
Protecting health care during the Bundibugyo virus disease response in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: operational guidance provides practical considerations for integrating protection measures into operational planning while maintaining essential health services, humanitarian principles and community participation.
The guidance is also available in French. It calls for incidents affecting health care to be documented, analysed and reported through established mechanisms to support operational decisions, adaptation and accountability.
Combining evidence and field experience
The peer-reviewed article Mitigating future pandemics: the need for socio-behavioural data collection systems and proactive community engagement, published in Family Medicine and Community Health in June 2026, contributes to the evidence base for collecting and applying socio-behavioural data and engaging communities before and during health emergencies.
Field stories published by the WHO Regional Office for Africa illustrate how community participation has informed the response in Ituri Province. The stories describe efforts to align response measures with community needs, strengthen safe and dignified burial practices, and create mechanisms for participation and feedback:
- Reconciling Ebola response and community needs to prevent transmission
- Safe and dignified burials help prevent the spread of Ebola
- Putting communities at the centre of safe and dignified burials
Together, these publications reinforce the importance of listening to communities, adapting interventions to local circumstances and involving affected populations in decisions concerning their health and well-being.
Integrating gender considerations into Ebola outbreak preparedness and response
WHO has published new public health advice to support the integration of gender considerations throughout Ebola outbreak preparedness and response. The guidance provides practical actions to identify and address gender-specific risks, needs and barriers, with particular emphasis on risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), equitable access to services, protection and meaningful participation. It covers gender analysis and cross-pillar action, protection for pregnant and breastfeeding women, engagement with caregivers, gender-based violence and sexual misconduct risks, and cultural acceptance. The guidance is intended for authorities, health and social service providers, and outbreak response personnel, including teams working at community level.
Communities as partners in protection
Community protection extends beyond communicating information. It brings together community participation, public health interventions, service delivery and coordinated action to address the consequences of a health emergency.
By combining technical guidance, evidence and operational experience, WHO aims to support outbreak responses that protect health while strengthening the participation and resilience of affected communities.
Community Protection and Resilience Unit
WHO Health Emergencies Programme