Explainer: Inside Ebola burial practices amid cries of unsafe interment in DR Congo
By Cynthia Lodite, June 5, 2026In an Ebola outbreak, every safe and dignified burial can help break a chain of transmission.
According to the World Health Organisation in Africa, safe burial practices for Ebola patients are critical because the virus remains highly infectious in the body after death, especially through direct contact with blood or body fluids.
“Bodies of people who have died from #Ebola can still infect you with the virus. Safe and dignified burials are critical to stem the outbreak,” WHO explained.
WHO burial protocol
In 2017, the WHO developed a protocol to provide information on the safe management of the burial of patients who died from suspected or confirmed Ebola virus.
According to the WHO, the burial process is very sensitive for the family and the community and can be the source of trouble or even open conflict.
Hence, before starting any procedure, the family must be fully informed about the dignified burial process and their religious and personal rights to show respect for the deceased.
WHO encourages medics to ensure that the formal agreement of the family has been given before starting the burial, and that no burial should begin until family agreement has been obtained.
Unsafe burial in Congo
World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently stated that unsafe burial practices for Ebola victims are among the factors contributing to the rapid spread of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
During a visit on Saturday, May 30, 2026, to Ituri, where the first cases of the outbreak were recorded, Ghebreyesus urged people to transfer patients to health centres as early as possible for treatment and to observe safety measures during burials.
The WHO chief stressed that early access to medical care can save patients’ lives and warned that contact with the bodies of Ebola victims is extremely dangerous.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also emphasized the use of safe burial methods and warned that ignoring these principles could accelerate the spread of the disease.
This comes as reports indicate that suspected Ebola cases and related deaths in Congo continue to rise, raising concerns about the further spread of the disease in the region.