Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, North Kivu, DRC

On 11th August, Sylvie Waridi, a psycho-social worker partnered with UNICEF, holds the hands of twin brothers, 8, just released from the Ebola Treatment Unit in Beni, North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Sylvie is one of 150 psychosocial workers trained by UNICEF to support people affected by the Ebola virus. Sylvie is responsible for providing psychological assistance to the children being cared for in the Beni Ebola treatment centre. “I talk to them, comfort them and listen to their worries,” says Sylvie. After six days of observation and two negative tests, the twins were declared not to be carrying the Ebola virus. “Every time we discharge a child from the centre we are filled with joy,” Sylvie explains. The risk of stigmatisation for those discharged from the Ebola centre is high and the return home is not always easy. Sylvie regularly visits the neighbourhood to ensure the twins have been well received. “You have to explain to the neighbours what the illness is, the reason why the children were admitted to the centre and why they have now been returned to their family,” says Sylvie. Following the 1 August 2018 announcement by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) of a new Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu, UNICEF has mobilized its teams to help contain the spread of the disease and protect children. The impact of an outbreak on children can be far reaching. It’s known from earlier outbreaks in the DRC as well as in West Africa that children can be affected in various ways. Children can themselves be infected by the disease, but the impact goes beyond; it impacts their families and communities as children can lose their parents, care-givers and teachers. Access to basic services such as health care and education can become severely compromised. Also, children who are infected or whose relatives are, face stigmatization and social exclusion. The Congolese Government has activated its re