Ebola Field Notes - July 16, 2026

Field Notes – July 16, 2026

Reflections from the Front Lines of the Ebola Response

The following field notes are adapted directly from the personal voice journal of Dr. Paul Mulyamboga, Director of Medical Services for Amigos Internacionales. These are not press releases or prepared statements. They are real-time reflections recorded while serving on the front lines of the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. We are sharing them because they offer a rare glimpse into the daily realities, difficult decisions, and unwavering faith of those risking their lives to serve vulnerable communities.

One of Those Days

Today is one of those days that leaves you emotionally drained.

As a volunteer... as a surgeon... and as someone called to serve, there are moments when your heart simply breaks for the people standing in front of you.

You see so many children.

So many mothers.

So many families.

You know they desperately need help, yet you also know you cannot reach everyone.

That reality weighs heavily on all of us.

Today we received reports that more than 800 people have already died during the current Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The outbreak continues to spread.

Communities affected have now grown from 32 to 34, while many remote villages remain beyond the reach of a coordinated medical response.

Yet the virus itself is only part of the challenge.

Many local militia groups and community leaders refuse to cooperate with government response teams. Contact tracing, disease surveillance, and emergency medical care become incredibly difficult because fear and distrust have taken root alongside the disease. Some communities believe outside intervention is an attempt to gain control of their land or natural resources rather than save lives.

Every day presents impossible choices.

Do we enter communities without adequate protection, placing our volunteers at tremendous risk?

Do we negotiate access through local armed groups and risk creating new conflicts?

These are decisions no healthcare worker should ever have to make.

Yet every morning...

...we pray.

And then we go.

Because behind every statistic is a child.

Behind every number is a mother.

Behind every outbreak is a family praying that someone will come.

We believe this story will have a different ending.

Not because the challenges are small...

...but because God continues to raise up people who refuse to look away.

Please pray for our medical teams.

Pray for the volunteers serving in dangerous conditions.

Pray for our partners working throughout eastern Congo.

Most of all, pray for the children, mothers, and families whose lives have been forever changed by this outbreak.

Together, we believe hope is stronger than fear.

Dr. Paul Mulyamboga serves as Director of Medical Services for Amigos Internacionales, leading medical missions, pediatric surgical outreach, infectious disease response, and humanitarian healthcare initiatives across East and Central Africa. His field journals provide an authentic record of the realities facing healthcare workers serving vulnerable communities.

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