Research Report: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices During the 2026 DRC Ebola Outbreak

On 16 August, the DRC’s public health institute reported 2,325 deaths, surpassing the 2018 to 2020 North Kivu epidemic to make this the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history. The World Health Organization has warned that it is already the second-biggest Ebola epidemic ever recorded, is moving faster than any previous outbreak, and is on track to become the deadliest anywhere on record.

Against that backdrop, GeoPoll is publishing the findings of a nationwide Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) study on the outbreak. We surveyed respondents across all 26 provinces of the DRC, covering knowledge of how Ebola spreads, perceptions of risk, attitudes toward survivors, information sources and trust, vaccine acceptance, protective behavior, burial practices, and belief in circulating rumors. Fieldwork is ongoing, and we will continue updating the findings as new responses arrive.

This report, from 1,497 respondents, is free and is designed for the people running the response: risk communication and community engagement teams, health agencies, humanitarian implementers, and media covering the outbreak.

Ebola in the DRC: Some highlight findings

• Awareness is not a problem. 96% of respondents have heard of the outbreak. The communication challenge rests more on accuracy amid widespread miscommunication than on reach.
• We presented several statements to gauge transmission awareness, and while there is decent knowledge across most, one critical one is that only 20% know that a recovered survivor can still transmit the virus through certain body fluids, and two-thirds confidently hold the wrong answer.
• Stated acceptance of the response is high. 74% would take a vaccine if one became available for the current strain, and 88% would accept a trained burial team in protective equipment.
• Misinformation is dominated by uncertainty rather than firm false belief. 28% believe the virus was created in a laboratory by foreigners, and one in five believes salt water or herbal mixtures prevent infection. Across all five rumours tested, large shares answer “don’t know”, a persuadable middle that timely, trusted messaging can still reach.
• This misinformation has behavioral consequences. Respondents who believe the virus was created in a laboratory are three times more likely to refuse vaccination and five times more likely to turn to informal care first when illness strikes the household.
• Half the population is uneasy around survivors. 49% would be uncomfortable greeting someone who has recovered, and discomfort is highest where survivors are least familiar.
• The channels people use are not the ones they trust. Radio, television and social media deliver the widest reach, but health workers are the single most trusted source, and where they are deployed, behavior visibly changes.

The report also compares the five outbreak provinces with the rest of the country, showing where proximity to the epidemic changes knowledge, behavior and attitudes, and where it does not.

Download the free full DRC Ebola report

The full report includes detailed findings across nine thematic sections, an outbreak-zone analysis, and ten operational recommendations for the response. Fill in the form to download it for free.

Data dashboard

We have also published an interactive dashboard with breakdowns by province, gender, age, and area. Since data collection is ongoing, the live dashboard refreshes as responses arrive.

View the live dashboard

GeoPoll has conducted research through every major Ebola outbreak since 2014, from the West Africa epidemic through the eastern DRC outbreak of 2018 to 2020, and is currently delivering commissioned research inside the DRC. To discuss data collection needs, please contact us.