The FC Barcelona Foundation will provide funding to support the international medical NGO ALIMA (The Alliance for International Medical Action) in responding to the Ebola epidemic affecting eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a health crisis that continues to spread amid population displacement and extremely difficult geographical access.

The epidemic, declared last May in the province of Ituri, has become the largest outbreak recorded in the country. In just a few weeks, the virus has spread from its initial focus to several provinces in eastern DRC.

The situation is particularly concerning in Ituri Province, where around 90% of detected cases are concentrated. While effective treatments have been developed for Ebola virus disease, none are currently approved for Bundibugyo virus disease, and no treatment has been shown to work across all virus types that cause Ebola diseases.

In response to this emergency, the FC Barcelona Foundation has decided to join the international efforts led on the ground by ALIMA, an international medical NGO with extensive experience in responding to health crises and epidemics across Africa, including recognized expertise on Ebola virus disease.    

ALIMA runs four treatment centers and has already treated more than 1,200 patients. Three hundred survivors have recovered. With its partners, the organization is running EBO-PEP in Ituri, the first trial of post-exposure prophylaxis against this strain. It is also involved in another clinical trial: PARTNERS. This trial will evaluate whether two antiviral treatments can improve the survival of people with Bundibugyo virus disease.       

A Very Serious Health Emergency

The Director General of the FC Barcelona Foundation, Dr. Marta Segú, stated: “We are facing an extraordinarily serious health emergency that requires an urgent, coordinated, and sustained international response. The Ebola epidemic in the DRC is a threat to thousands of families living in highly vulnerable conditions, and we cannot allow this crisis to fall outside the focus of global attention. It is essential to mobilize resources, strengthen international cooperation, and support the teams working on the ground to contain the spread of the virus and save lives.”

Dr. Segú also emphasized the crucial role of affected communities in responding to the epidemic: “Experience shows us that no health intervention can be effective without the active involvement of the population. Community engagement is key to building trust, promoting early case detection, combating misinformation, and facilitating access to healthcare services. Therefore, in addition to medical and logistical support, it is essential to strengthen community networks so that they become an active part of the solution to an emergency of this magnitude.”

Strengthening the Health Response

The Foundation’s support will help strengthen several essential areas in the fight against the Ebola epidemic, with the aim of protecting the most affected communities and improving the response capacity of healthcare teams. Planned actions include the provision of medicines and medical supplies, protective equipment for frontline staff, reinforcement of treatment and patient isolation centers, resources for epidemiological surveillance and infection confirmation, and enhanced logistical capabilities needed to operate in remote or insecure areas.

The project also includes community awareness and mobilization initiatives to encourage early case detection and, above all, build public trust in healthcare services, a cornerstone for facilitating the adoption of preventive measures. In an emergency such as the current one, community involvement is a decisive factor in limiting virus transmission and ensuring that affected individuals receive prompt medical attention.

In addition, the initiative will help strengthen infection prevention and control mechanisms, protecting both patients and healthcare professionals.

Dr Moumouni KINDA, CEO of ALIMA, adds: “Barça’s financial support is invaluable in strengthening our capacity to respond, and we are deeply grateful for it. Against the backdrop of an overall decline in humanitarian funding, the additional mobilization of major private donors is particularly valuable. The club also helps raise broader international awareness by bringing greater visibility to a health and humanitarian crisis that threatens to spread to several countries”

Commitment to the Most Vulnerable Populations

Through this collaboration, the Barça Foundation reaffirms its commitment to global health, child protection, and support for the most vulnerable communities facing humanitarian emergencies. The current Ebola crisishighlights the need to mobilize resources and international partnerships capable of responding to challenges that transcend borders, thereby preventing a repeat of the 2014 West African epidemic that spread to other countries in the region and beyond.

In this regard, the Club and the Foundation aim to bring visibility to an emergency affecting thousands of families and requiring a sustained, coordinated response based on international solidarity. The collaboration with ALIMA, an international organization recognized for its expertise on Ebola, reflects the FC Barcelona Foundation’s commitment, together with the social mobilization capacity of the Club, to generating a positive impact in highly vulnerable contexts, helping to protect lives and strengthen the response to one of the most serious health crises currently facing the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

About ALIMA

ALIMA (The Alliance for International Medical Action) is an international medical NGO founded in 2009 that provides high-quality healthcare to the most vulnerable populations. ALIMA has provided care to more than 43 million people across 15 countries, primarily in Africa. The organization is recognized for its expertise in maternal and child health, malnutrition, epidemics and emerging diseases, research, and innovation.

ALIMA’s effectiveness is built on three core principles: partnerships between local and international stakeholders (national NGOs, Ministries of Health, and international research institutions); strong local roots, with 95% of its teams recruited from the countries where it operates and an operational headquarters in Dakar; and a constant commitment to innovation to transform humanitarian medicine (more than 50 research projects conducted since 2009).

ALIMA has also received several international awards in recognition of its work.

www.alima.ngo

 

 

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