Sir, – The accelerated pace at which Ebola is spreading is extremely alarming, with suspected cases now surpassing 1,000, the overwhelming majority in Ituri province, a mining hub in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Conditions in eastern DRC are ripe for the Ebola virus to spread exponentially. There is no vaccine available to counteract this strain and already over-stretched health systems have been further weakened by shortsighted cuts to global aid funding.Making a bad situation even worse, the region has long been plagued by fighting between different armed groups, making it even harder to trace cases, so vital to preventing further infection. Without a ceasefire it will be even harder to stop what the World Health Organisation (WHO) has described as a “catastrophic collision of disease and conflict”.Along with PPE and other vital medical supplies, trust in the healthcare response to Ebola is also in short supply. As we saw here during the Covid pandemic, public confidence in health advice plays a crucial role in breaking the chain of transmission.Without a vaccine, following reliable health messages from trusted sources is crucial to stopping the spread, especially where misunderstanding and misinformation about the causes and consequences of the virus are rampant.[ The Irish Times view on the Ebola outbreak: disease and conflict collideOpens in new window ]This is why Christian Aid’s local Irish Aid-funded partner responding in the mining town of Rwampara is working with pastors and priests to make sure life-saving health messages get through to local communities. This includes making people aware of the need to go immediately to health centres if symptomatic, as well as the risk of infection during burial rites and funerals. It is also tackling rumours and conspiracy theories making the Ebola response even harder, including the unfounded fear that people will die if they attend a treatment centre.There is still time to halt Ebola in eastern DRC and prevent a regional pandemic. The world needs to act now, invest in local agencies risking their lives on the ground and reverse the aid cuts that hollowed out health systems and left the DRC overly exposed to this latest deadly outbreak. – Yours, etc, ROSAMOND BENNETT Chief Executive, Christian Aid Ireland, Dublin 2.