Emmanuel Uparpiu Uyoma: „I want to help the community“
Emmanuel Uparpiu Uyoma is a nurse at our Ebola treatment center in Aru in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For him, his profession is a calling; he sees his work as part of a community’s shared responsibility for one another. But the price he pays for his dedication is high, and the fear of contagion a constant companion. We help him and others protect themselves as best as possible.
Putting on the extensive protective gear is a cumbersome process. A full-body suit, an apron, rubber gloves, rubber boots, an FFP2 mask, and finally, safety goggles. By the time Emmanuel is ready to go to his patients, hardly anything of the dedicated nurse remains visible. In addition to the suit, there are extensive infection control measures in place at the treatment center. Nevertheless, a residual risk remains. Emmanuel puts a lot on the line every day to care for the sick that come to the center. Many other nurses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have already become infected themselves during the Ebola epidemic. Yet quitting is out of the question for Emmanuel.
The price for his dedication is high
Emmanuel lives in Aru with his wife and their two children. The small town is situated in the eastern province of Ituri. The 30-year-old has worked at Aru General Referral Hospital since 2019.
Since the beginning of the Ebola outbreak, Emmanuel has spent much of his time at the treatment center we built and support, caring for patients. Since there is neither a vaccine nor any approved medications for the current strain of the Ebola virus, supportive care – including nursing care – is a crucial factor in increasing patients’ chances of survival. The significant personal risk he faces has also brought about many changes in Emmanuel’s daily life.
“When you work at the Ebola Treatment Centre, you feel that you can expose your family, the community and even your neighbors,” he says. Some neighbors have started to give him and other staff from the treatment center a wide berth out of fear: “They say, ‘You work at the treatment center, so maybe you're already sick’,” says Emmanuel.
Some relatives asked him outright to quit his job after hearing about healthcare workers who had fallen ill in other places. But Emmanuel does not want to abandon his profession: “I do not want to leave. I chose medicine because I wanted to help the community. That holds true even in a crisis like this one." Of course, he, too, worries – especially about bringing Ebola home. Even after his long shifts are over, he therefore tries to limit the time he spends with his family. It’s a price he pays for his dedication, and one that’s particularly hard to bear.
Our support for health workers in the DR Congo
“It was always hard for me to see people suffer. That gave me the courage to choose this career and to help,” says Emmanuel. We support him to help others: Since 2020, Emmanuel participated in several trainings we enabled, including training courses on COVID-19, Ebola, infection prevention and control, medical devices, and mental health. “The training sessions help us with our work at the hospital. And I can apply what I’ve learned at home to help keep our family safer.”
The techniques he has learned and the equipment provided also give him the confidence to assess risks and perform his work as safely as possible. “We know that the work is dangerous. But with the training we received, we know that if we follow the instructions, we can protect ourselves.”
For the future, Emmanuel would like nurses working in the response to have opportunities for further specialized training, particularly in emergency and Ebola-related care. He is convinced that stronger healthcare capabilities would also help preserve knowledge and experience between outbreaks and enable a faster and more efficient response the next time an outbreak occurs. This way, even more lives could be saved.
Stronger together
There is yet another factor that motivates Emmanuel to keep going: the responsibility each individual bears within the overall aid system. “If one person leaves, and another also leaves, it will not work. We complement each other and must continue to support our patients together. If I leave today and let other people die, then when it is my turn, who will help me?”
His family may still worry about the risks, but Emmanuel remains committed to his profession: “The work of helping others is a noble work.”
August 2026
Our support amidst the epidemic
Since Mai 2026, Ebola is spreading fast in northeastern DR Congo. On May 17, the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. There are currently no approved vaccines, specific treatments, or reliable rapid tests for the current virus variant. Activities by armed rebel groups are hampering relief efforts. Malteser International supports treatment centers by providing, among other things, protective equipment and hygiene supplies, trains healthcare workers, and offers psychosocial and psychological support to those affected. In at-risk communities, teams educate residents about the dangers of Ebola and protective measures and improve the water supply.
