Health workers responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are working closely with local communities, recognising that trust is as critical as testing and treatment, to stop the disease in its tracks.

Dr Marie-Roseline Belizaire, Africa’s Emergencies Director for the World Health Organization (WHO) told UN News in an exclusive interview this week that response teams are engaging with women’s groups, youth leaders, motorcycle drivers and traditional healers to dispel misinformation and explain how people can protect themselves.

She told Cristina Silveiro that, instead of dismissing widely held beliefs, health workers are seeking to “integrate science” so that sick people come forward for treatment.