Human Rights Forum – Human Rights Monitoring and Observation Mission

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is once again facing a serious public health crisis following the spread of the Ebola virus disease.

While the Government and its partners have announced measures to contain the outbreak, the Human Rights Forum expresses deep concern about the chaotic, opaque and insufficiently accountable management of the Ebola response.

A health emergency of this magnitude requires more than emergency declarations and institutional communication. It requires transparency, effective coordination, accountability and respect for the fundamental rights of affected communities.

A Response Raising Serious Questions

The Human Rights Forum recognizes the efforts made by national health authorities, health workers and international partners to contain the outbreak. However, these efforts must not prevent civil society from asking legitimate questions about the effectiveness and management of the response.

The public has the right to know how the response is organized, what resources have been mobilized, how those resources are being used, and what mechanisms are in place to prevent mismanagement, waste and corruption.

An emergency cannot become a space without transparency or accountability.

Where Are the Resources Going?

The Ebola response requires substantial national and international financial resources.

For the Human Rights Forum, every dollar mobilized in the fight against Ebola must be traceable and used for its intended purpose: saving lives and protecting communities.

We therefore call for greater transparency regarding:

The financial resources mobilized by the Government and its partners; Funds actually disbursed for the Ebola response; Contracts and public procurement related to the response; Organizations and institutions implementing response activities; Salaries, allowances and logistical expenditures; Monitoring and auditing mechanisms; Results achieved in relation to the resources committed.

The Congolese citizen, Parliament, civil society organizations and international donors must be able to assess how public and international resources are being managed.

Transparency Is a Public Health Imperative

Transparency is not an administrative luxury during an epidemic. It is a public health necessity.

When citizens lack reliable and timely information, rumors, misinformation and distrust can spread as rapidly as the disease itself.

The Government must therefore ensure regular publication of credible epidemiological information and provide clear explanations concerning prevention, treatment, vaccination, deaths and recoveries.

Communication must be accurate, accessible, consistent and free from political manipulation.

Protecting Health Workers and Communities

Health workers remain at the frontline of the Ebola response and must receive adequate protection, equipment, training and support. The Government and its partners must ensure that doctors, nurses, laboratory personnel, community health workers, vaccination teams and other frontline workers operate in safe and dignified conditions.At the same time, affected communities must not be treated merely as beneficiaries of the response. They must be active participants in the fight against the epidemic.

Women, young people, community leaders, civil society organizations, Ebola survivors and local health actors must have meaningful opportunities to participate in prevention, monitoring and evaluation.

The Government Must Be Accountable

The Human Rights Forum calls upon the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to strengthen transparency and accountability throughout the Ebola response.

A Health Crisis Must Not Become a Crisis of Trust

The Human Rights Forum believes that the urgency of the Ebola crisis cannot justify opacity. The greater the resources mobilized, the greater the obligation to account for them. The Congolese State has the primary responsibility to protect its population. International partners and donors also have a responsibility to ensure that resources intended to save lives effectively reach the communities that need them.

Behind every statistic is a human being, a family and a community.The Human Rights Forum therefore calls for an Ebola response that is effective, transparent, independent, accountable and respectful of human dignity.

Saving lives requires resources — but it also requires transparency, responsibility and accountability.

Human Rights Forum (FDH) Human Rights Monitoring and Observation Mission Working for Democracy, Peace, Justice and Dignity.