It was a rare moment of joy amidst the Ebola epidemic: Medical professionals broke into song and dance on June 16, 2026, to celebrate the successful treatment of three Ebola patients at the general hospital in Mongbwalu in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The medical workers wear broad smiles – visible as they no longer have to wear masks – as they form a festive circle around a man, a woman and a child who have all obtained authorisation to leave the hospital. It is all the more meaningful for the health workers because the woman, Florance, is their colleague: she is the hospital’s accountant. Florance contracted the virus while handling the bodies of deceased patients, who remain contagious even after death. Hospital doctor Héritier Masudi explained: "Florance spent a lot of time with the patients. One of her sisters had also become infected with the disease and died at our hospital. Florance didn’t wait for symptoms to emerge; she sought treatment immediately."
The first patients who have successfully been treated for Ebola left the hospital in Mongbwalu, the epicentre of the epidemic, on June 9. Our Observer, doctor Héritier Masudi, shared an image of the ceremony held to celebrate this moment, a breath of hope for the city. © Héritier Masudi
