Beyond Checkpoints: IOM Calls for Expanded Ebola Surveillance on DRC’s Informal Routes

Since the outbreak began almost six months ago, IOM’s regional Ebola coordinator says 71 confirmed cases were found at points of entry, and 95% of those emerged on informal routes that bypass official checkpoints. The same informal channels are used to move the bodies of victims, with 258 corpses intercepted so far. Because these pathways are less visible, they allow the virus to spread silently among travelers, market vendors and bus passengers, complicating efforts that focus solely on hospitals and treatment centres.

To locate hidden transmission, IOM has mapped gathering spots such as markets, bus stations and places of worship, as well as the broader “mobility corridor” linking affected and at‑risk areas. The agency’s teams have conducted 55 million screenings across the DRC and 11 neighboring countries, while supporting surveillance at 57 displacement sites, 50 of which lie in health zones hit by Ebola. WHO data show more than 10,400 confirmed cases and 5,103 deaths as of 31 October, underscoring the need for precise, movement‑based intelligence to direct staff and resources.

IOM estimates it needs $110 million for regional operations through March 2027 but is nearly $60 million short of that target. The shortfall jeopardises the scaling up of screening at informal crossings and displacement sites, as well as rapid response capacities such as the recent evacuation of three wounded civilians in Ituri Province by UN peacekeepers. Without the requested funding, the agency warns that surveillance will remain constrained to formal checkpoints, leaving large segments of the population unmonitored and the outbreak harder to contain.