Beni, North Kivu - August 24, 2026. Humanitarian Action for Africa (HAA), in partnership with Direct Relief, has officially launched two complementary initiatives to strengthen health preparedness and response among communities and health facilities in the Beni Health Zone.
The first initiative involves a major medical donation from Direct Relief to HAA, consisting of nearly 1.2 metric tonnes of essential medicines, personal protective equipment, medical supplies and WASH-related items, covering approximately 80 different product lines. The supplies will be allocated to health facilities based on documented needs and in coordination with the relevant health authorities.
The second initiative is a six-month pilot project focused on strengthening community preparedness for Ebola, targeting four priority health areas within the Beni Health Zone.
The project focuses on four interconnected areas: risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), community-based surveillance and early warning, infection prevention and control (IPC), and targeted support to frontline health facilities.
Beyond the provision of supplies, the initiative aims to strengthen local capacity so that communities and frontline health workers can identify potential risks earlier, report alerts, improve infection prevention practices and build greater trust in the health response.
Upcoming activities will include health facility assessments, training of community relays, community dialogues with local leaders, practical IPC training for health workers and simulation exercises in health facilities.
Together, the two initiatives address both immediate and longer-term needs: the medical donation helps address critical supply gaps in health facilities, while the preparedness project strengthens the local systems, skills and community mechanisms needed to better anticipate and respond to health emergencies.
HAA and Direct Relief will continue documenting activities and progress across the targeted communities and health facilities.
