×

News publications and other organizations are encouraged to reuse Direct Relief-published content for free under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International), given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.

When republishing:

  • Include a byline with the reporter’s name and Direct Relief in the following format: "Author Name, Direct Relief." If attribution in that format is not possible, include the following language at the top of the story: "This story was originally published by Direct Relief."
  • If publishing online, please link to the original URL of the story.
  • Maintain any tagline at the bottom of the story.
  • With Direct Relief's permission, news publications can make changes such as localizing the content for a particular area, using a different headline, or shortening story text. To confirm edits are acceptable, please check with Direct Relief by clicking this link.
  • If new content is added to the original story — for example, a comment from a local official — a note with language to the effect of the following must be included: "Additional reporting by [reporter and organization]."
  • If republished stories are shared on social media, Direct Relief appreciates being tagged in the posts:
    • Twitter (@DirectRelief)
    • Facebook (@DirectRelief)
    • Instagram (@DirectRelief)

Republishing Images:

Unless stated otherwise, images shot by Direct Relief may be republished for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution, given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.

  • Maintain correct caption information.
  • Credit the photographer and Direct Relief in the caption. For example: "First and Last Name / Direct Relief."
  • Do not digitally alter images.

Direct Relief often contracts with freelance photographers who usually, but not always, allow their work to be published by Direct Relief’s media partners. Contact Direct Relief for permission to use images in which Direct Relief is not credited in the caption by clicking here.

Other Requirements:

  • Do not state or imply that donations to any third-party organization support Direct Relief's work.
  • Republishers may not sell Direct Relief's content.
  • Direct Relief's work is prohibited from populating web pages designed to improve rankings on search engines or solely to gain revenue from network-based advertisements.
  • Advance permission is required to translate Direct Relief's stories into a language different from the original language of publication. To inquire, contact us here.
  • If Direct Relief requests a change to or removal of republished Direct Relief content from a site or on-air, the republisher must comply.

For any additional questions about republishing Direct Relief content, please email the team here.

From Treatment Center to Laboratory – Safely Transporting Ebola Samples

This photo essay, from the nonprofit Village Reach, highlights the people, processes, and partnerships behind the effort to rapidly test and contain the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

News

DRC Ebola Outbreak 2026

Erick Pirwoth, a technician at the Ituri laboratory, arrives with coolers containing Ebola samples.
Erick Pirwoth, a technician at the Ituri laboratory, arrives with coolers containing Ebola samples. (Photo by Josué Kumbi)

Editor’s note: This article was first published here by VillageReach, a Direct Relief partner organization responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. All photographs by Josué Kumbi.

During an Ebola outbreak, every hour matters. Rapid laboratory confirmation helps health authorities isolate cases, trace contacts, and respond quickly to stop further transmission.

Early in the Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province, samples collected for diagnosis often experienced backlogs while awaiting transfer to satellite laboratories for testing. To help address this challenge, VillageReach supported the government by deploying a dedicated vehicle as an emergency adaptation to strengthen the Ebola response.

The vehicle enabled the safe and timely transfer of specimens from treatment centers such as Rwampara, located nearly 20 kilometers from the provincial laboratory, with multiple collection rounds conducted each day to support rapid testing and diagnosis.

This photo essay highlights the people, processes, and partnerships behind that journey.

On the Front Lines of Outbreak Response

Ebola treatment centers are often the first point of contact for people with suspected infection. Here, health workers identify potential cases and begin the process that can lead to lifesaving laboratory confirmation.

healthcare workers outside an Ebola treatment center in Ituri Province, DRC

Preparing to Work Safely

Before entering clinical areas, health workers carefully put on personal protective equipment, or PPE, according to established protocols for the collection and handling of Ebola samples. Every step helps protect staff, patients, and communities while ensuring specimens can be collected safely.

healthcare workers in blue and white put on PPE
At the Rwampara Ebola Treatment Center, Christian Ntumba, a medical biologist from the National Institute of Biomedical Research, or INRB, helps Daniel Bayigani, head of the laboratory pillar for the Rwampara Health Zone, put on his personal protective equipment.

Protecting Every Specimen

Once collected, blood samples are labeled, documented, and packed in approved containers. Proper handling preserves sample quality and helps ensure accurate test results.

healthcare worker deposits specimens into a container

The Journey Begins

After collection and packaging, specimens are carefully transported out of the treatment center and prepared for delivery to the provincial laboratory.

health care workers in blue scrubs and ppe exchange an ebola sample

Passing the Baton

Safe specimen transport depends on coordination. Once samples are ready, trained transport personnel take responsibility for maintaining biosafety and ensuring timely delivery.

health care worker carries specimens next to a tan truck that reads "village reach"
Erick Pirwoth, a technician at the Ituri laboratory, arrives with coolers containing Ebola samples.

Ready for the Road

Samples are loaded into a dedicated vehicle that connects treatment centers with laboratory services, helping speed diagnosis and public health action.

healthcare worker takes specimen in a box from a truck
Dr. Christian Ntumba loads the vehicle before departing the Ebola Treatment Center.

Bridging Distance and Diagnosis

Transport teams travel between treatment centers and laboratories, ensuring specimens can reach testing facilities quickly and safely, even across challenging terrain.

2 white trucks on a dirt road delivering ebola specimens

Connecting Patients to Answers

Every timely delivery helps laboratories process specimens sooner, enabling faster confirmation of cases and supporting outbreak response efforts.

white truck in front of a blue laboratory

Maintaining Traceability

Before testing begins, laboratory staff verify documentation and record each specimen, ensuring every sample can be tracked accurately throughout the diagnostic process.

health care worker with gloves and a cap read a report
Yvette Lutete, an Ituri laboratory technician, completing sample identification forms after receiving the samples.

From Transport to Testing

With the specimen safely delivered, laboratory teams can begin testing, generating the information needed to guide patient care and public health decisions.

health care workers in green scrubs carries white box down a hallway
Yvette Lutete, lab technician transporting packages containing blood samples for Ebola testing to the laboratory.

While this photo essay focuses on Ebola specimen transport in Ituri Province, it reflects a broader effort to strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak response across the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Working with health authorities in 11 provinces, VillageReach has helped build networks of local transporters who safely move patient specimens to laboratories for testing. Their work supports faster diagnosis, treatment, and containment of outbreak-prone diseases such as Ebola, cholera, polio, measles, and yellow fever, helping communities and health systems respond more quickly to public health threats. Learn more.


Direct Relief has provided more than 21 tons of medical support to health organizations, including VillageReach, in response to the current Ebola outbreak in DRC.

Giving is Good Medicine

You don't have to donate. That's why it's so extraordinary if you do.

Hear From Direct Relief

Get stories, emergency updates, and humanitarian impact delivered to your inbox.