The Ebola outbreak increases the search for "divine healing" in Congo's churches

In parts of Africa, the Ebola virus has recently returned strongly. In the northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 45 cases of the disease. Most infected people died in a few days. Now the government is promoting a major vaccination campaign and awareness of the need to treat it with drugs.

However, part of the population remains resistant to traditional medicine and runs to evangelical churches that promise divine healing instead of seeking treatment. After the WHO officially declared that there was an outbreak in Congo, the local government calls for the collaboration of religious leaders to fight it.

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At the beginning of June, the Catholic churches of Congo suspended the anointing of the sick people in the churches not to expose the faithful during the mbad. Even so, some pastors who claim to have the power to cure diseases continue to encourage people not to take medicine and to have faith to restore their health.

Spiritualized Disease

An emblematic case of this power struggle when two Ebola virus-infected patients fled the isolation of the hospital for a prayer meeting where they exposed the 50 or so faithful local.

"The escape was organized by the families, the patients were very sick and they could not walk.They were taken on a motorcycle," says Dr. Jean-Clément Carbol, coordinator of Médecins Sans Frontières in the region. "They were taken to a church where there were 50 people and received prayers. The fugitives were found at two o'clock in the morning, one dead and one dying. "

" Many patients believe that the Ebola outbreak is the result of witchcraft. They refuse to be cared for and prefer to pray, "said Julie Lobali, a nurse in a hospital in Mbandaka, the city where both patients fled to the hospital. After the death of an evangelical pastor last month after praying with a person contaminated by Ebola contributed to the controversy.

"Once the disease is spiritualized, its solution can only come from the man or woman of God with the power of" J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, professor of history of African Christianity

This "spiritualization" of the disease has also led the sick to look for wizards who are doing "works" of healing, an ancient African tradition.

Clearly, not all Christian leaders advocate treatment based on the faith instead of medical care.Most, in fact, argue that both are important.

Embola is a virus with a mortality rate of about 50% .In recent decades, there are has had nine outbreaks of the disease in Congo only.The current outbreak began in early May and has caused at least 30 deaths. With Christianity information today [19659015] window.fbAsyncInit = function () {
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