Repeated water shortages are forcing several health facilities in Bukavu to adopt emergency measures to maintain infection prevention and control, highlighting the importance of reliable water access in preparing for Ebola and other infectious disease outbreaks.
For weeks, disruptions in the city’s water supply have affected hospitals and health centers following technical failures reported by the national water utility, REGIDESO, at the Murhundu water treatment system in neighboring Kabare territory.
Health workers say running water remains essential for patient care, environmental sanitation and infection prevention.
“Water is critical for protecting our patients, washing hands, cleaning hospital wards and disinfecting medical equipment. Without it, our work becomes much more difficult,” said a nurse at a health facility in Bukavu.
Local solutions to keep essential services running
Rather than suspending healthcare services, several facilities have introduced temporary solutions.
Some hospitals purchase water delivered by tanker trucks. According to health workers, filling a 3,000-liter storage tank costs around US$30 per week, placing additional financial pressure on already stretched healthcare facilities.
Others have increased the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers to maintain hand hygiene whenever water is unavailable. While these products help reduce the risk of disease transmission, healthcare professionals stress that they cannot replace water for cleaning hospital wards, disinfecting equipment, laundering medical linens or providing routine patient care.
A lesson in health system resilience
Public health experts say the situation illustrates that epidemic preparedness depends not only on medicines and trained staff but also on reliable water infrastructure.
They recommend investing in larger water storage systems, diversifying water sources, promoting rainwater harvesting where appropriate and strengthening emergency preparedness plans to ensure continuity of healthcare services during supply disruptions.
As the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to strengthen preparedness against Ebola, health workers argue that improving access to safe water should become a public health priority.
The experience in Bukavu demonstrates that resilient healthcare systems rely on more than clinical expertise they also depend on access to one of the most basic but essential resources: clean water.
