IMPACT

The current Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has affected areas where many people rely on artisanal and small-scale mining for their livelihoods. As coverage of the crisis grows, discussions often focus on mining communities as a source of risk. Yet public health emergencies are rarely explained by a single community, occupation, or behaviour.

Across eastern DRC, conflict, displacement, economic insecurity, mobility, and limited access to healthcare and public services all shape vulnerability and disease transmission. Many people displaced by insecurity turn to artisanal mining as a subsistence strategy while continuing to move as conditions change. Globally, more than 44 million people work in artisanal and small-scale mining, and their income supports an estimated 150 million dependents. In eastern DRC, it remains a critical source of income for families and local economies.

When health crises occur near mining areas, attention often focuses on the risks those communities represent rather than the risks they face. However, past Ebola outbreaks have shown that public health emergencies are rarely driven by a single factor. Delayed detection, insecurity, limited healthcare access, and community distrust all influence how diseases spread and how response efforts unfold.

How we talk about communities during public health emergencies matters. When assumptions replace evidence —or when correlation is mistaken for a cause— stigma can undermine response efforts by reducing trust and making people less likely to seek care, report symptoms, or engage with health authorities. Effective public health responses depend on evidence, context, and meaningful engagement with affected communities. In the mining communities where IMPACT works, we have seen how trust, local knowledge, and inclusive approaches strengthen public health and development responses.

Understanding context does not diminish the urgency of a public health crisis. It helps us respond more effectively.

💡Learn more about artisanal mining in eastern DRC through the analysis, research, and stories featured in our Knowledge Hub.➡️ https://bit.ly/4uLcPzP

Interested applicants are invited to apply!

📢 Join our team! We are hiring a Project Support Intern to support finance, admin, and project functions at Planet-GOLD Zimbabwe . A great chance to gain real-world experience in a donor-funded setting.

See the advert here 👉 https://bit.ly/49z4ZS4 for details on how to apply.

The planetGOLD Zimbabwe project is supported by the Global Environment Facility, led by the UN Environment Programme in Sudan, and executed by IMPACT, in close coordination with the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife and the Environmental Management Agency.