Position paper for social and behavior change in the 2026 Ebola response

On May 17, 2026, the World Health Organization declared the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the DRC a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Unlike previous outbreaks, the Bundibugyo strain has no licensed vaccine and no approved therapeutic treatment.

When biomedical countermeasures are limited, containment relies entirely on human behavior, community trust, and social dynamics. This position paper by the African Society for Social and Behavior Change (AS-SBC) provides an operational blueprint for integrating behavioral science into the frontline response to save lives.

Inside the Strategic Blueprint:

• The Behavioral Landscape: An in-depth analysis of how armed conflict, intense misinformation on platforms like WhatsApp and TikTok, and deep-seated community mistrust are shaping transmission.
• Rethinking Community Engagement: Why the traditional focus on “compliance” is failing, and how to shift to community-led co-design.
• Cultural Adaptation: Practical steps for aligning Safe and Dignified Burials (SDB) with local traditions to prevent clandestine home burials.
• The 15–20% Funding Mandate: A direct appeal to international donors on why behavioral science requires a proportionate slice of the emergency response budget.
• Stakeholder Action Matrix: Explicit, operationally grounded requirements tailored for Governments, Donors, UN agencies, and Implementing Partners.

“Communities are not the last mile of the response; they are the first line of defense.” — AS-SBC, May 2026

Who Needs to Read This Paper?

• Ministries of Health & Incident Managers structuring national emergency responses.
• International Donors & Funders looking to maximize the behavioral ROI of outbreak budgets.
• RCCE & One Health Pillars requiring a rigorous, culturally grounded framework for regional cross-border deployment.

Download the Position Paper

Gain immediate access to the full strategic blueprint, success indicator hierarchies, and stakeholder frameworks.