More than 250,000 N95 respirators—enough to outfit a small city’s worth of health workers—are leaving Santa Barbara, California, bound for Bunia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Ebola has once again tightened its grip on communities and clinics. The shipment, led by Direct Relief, carries not just protective gear but a quiet promise: that even in the shadow of a deadly outbreak, care won’t stop. Donated by 3M, the cargo includes full personal protective equipment—respirators, coveralls, and eye protection—making it the largest single delivery of N95s in response to this crisis. But the mission goes beyond Ebola. Tucked into the same containers are antibiotics, diabetes medications, oral rehydration salts, and deworming treatments, all aimed at keeping primary care alive in a health system already stretched thin.
The stakes are high. During the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, more than 10,000 people died from treatable conditions like malaria and tuberculosis—not because the diseases were incurable, but because clinics closed and patients stayed away. That toll nearly matched the 11,325 lives lost directly to Ebola. "An effective Ebola response has to do two things at once: contain the virus, and help the broader health system keep functioning," says Dr. Jeffrey Samuel, Direct Relief’s regional director for Africa. That dual focus is now at the heart of their work in the DRC.
Since May, Direct Relief has sent over $10 million in medical aid to the country. Partnering with VillageReach, a global health nonprofit with deep roots across Africa, they’re ensuring these supplies reach the most remote clinics. VillageReach will coordinate with the DRC’s Ministry of Public Health, train 600 community health workers in early detection and contact tracing, and maintain routine immunization programs. "The arrival of this PPE is critical to protecting frontline health workers and stopping the spread of Ebola," says Freddy Nkosi, VillageReach’s DRC Country Director. "Working alongside the Ministry of Health, and with support from Direct Relief, VillageReach is helping ensure these supplies reach the last mile."
This effort builds on years of sustained support. Since 2023, Direct Relief has delivered $17.5 million in diabetes care supplies to the DRC, including insulin, test strips, and refrigerators to keep medicines cool. The organization traces its roots to William Zimdin, an Estonian refugee who, after fleeing Nazi Europe, began mailing relief parcels from Santa Barbara in 1945. Today, that legacy lives on—not in grand gestures, but in the steady flow of medicines and masks to those who need them most. As the Ebola response continues, one thing is clear: protecting health workers means protecting entire communities.