Mistrusting the process: containing Congo's Ebola outbreak

欧洲打响科技保卫战

The Intelligence from The Economist

2026-06-01

21 分钟
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Aid is ramping up to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and vaccine work is progressing. But what the Ebola response most lacks is trust of the community. European governments and businesses are wary of their dependence on America's tech giants; we examine a spate of home-grown efforts. And sticky toffee pudding, a staid British classic, gets a sweet social-media boost.  Guests and host: John McDermott, chief Africa correspondentChristian Odendahl, European economics editorỌrẹ Ogunbiyi, Africa correspondent and sticky toffee pudding enthusiastJason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  Ebola outbreak, Democratic Republic of Congo, epidemiology, vaccinesEuropean technology, American tech giants, technological sovereignty sticky toffee pudding Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
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  • The Economist

  • Hello and welcome to The Intelligence from The Economist.

  • I'm Jason Palmer.

  • Today on the show, how Europe is trying to weed itself off American tech,

  • and the resurgent phenomenon that is the sticky toffee pudding.

  • First up, though.

  • In the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, attempts to control a worrisome outbreak of Ebola

  • are being hampered by the very people they're meant to help.

  • Medical tents on fire, burned-out beds, the sporadic warning shots of police.

  • Health officials know that safely burying Ebola victims is crucial.

  • Contact with bodies can spread the disease further.

  • But local custom often has it that community members ritually wash the dead,

  • and, more to the point, they don't trust the warnings that authorities are giving them.

  • And so, you get scenes like this in Rumangabo,

  • with fights over a burial, arson and protest met with tear gas.

  • It's just one of the dynamics that's complicating a crucial response.

  • The world faces a huge task to combat the latest Ebola outbreak.

  • John McDermott is our chief Africa correspondent.

  • There is no vaccine for this strain, and the on-the-ground realities make tackling it incredibly difficult.

  • So there's a growing recognition that both in Congo, where the outbreak is centered,