From Treatment Center to Laboratory – Safely Transporting Ebola Samples

Editor's note: This article was first published here by VillageReach, a Direct Relief partner organization responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. All photographs by Josué Kumbi.

During an Ebola outbreak, every hour matters. Rapid laboratory confirmation helps health authorities isolate cases, trace contacts, and respond quickly to stop further transmission.

Early in the Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province, samples collected for diagnosis often experienced backlogs while awaiting transfer to satellite laboratories for testing. To help address this challenge, VillageReach supported the government by deploying a dedicated vehicle as an emergency adaptation to strengthen the Ebola response.

The vehicle enabled the safe and timely transfer of specimens from treatment centers such as Rwampara, located nearly 20 kilometers from the provincial laboratory, with multiple collection rounds conducted each day to support rapid testing and diagnosis.

This photo essay highlights the people, processes, and partnerships behind that journey.

On the Front Lines of Outbreak Response

Ebola treatment centers are often the first point of contact for people with suspected infection. Here, health workers identify potential cases and begin the process that can lead to lifesaving laboratory confirmation.

Preparing to Work Safely

Before entering clinical areas, health workers carefully put on personal protective equipment, or PPE, according to established protocols for the collection and handling of Ebola samples. Every step helps protect staff, patients, and communities while ensuring specimens can be collected safely.

Protecting Every Specimen

Once collected, blood samples are labeled, documented, and packed in approved containers. Proper handling preserves sample quality and helps ensure accurate test results.

The Journey Begins

After collection and packaging, specimens are carefully transported out of the treatment center and prepared for delivery to the provincial laboratory.

Passing the Baton

Safe specimen transport depends on coordination. Once samples are ready, trained transport personnel take responsibility for maintaining biosafety and ensuring timely delivery.

Ready for the Road

Samples are loaded into a dedicated vehicle that connects treatment centers with laboratory services, helping speed diagnosis and public health action.

Bridging Distance and Diagnosis

Transport teams travel between treatment centers and laboratories, ensuring specimens can reach testing facilities quickly and safely, even across challenging terrain.

Connecting Patients to Answers

Every timely delivery helps laboratories process specimens sooner, enabling faster confirmation of cases and supporting outbreak response efforts.

Maintaining Traceability

Before testing begins, laboratory staff verify documentation and record each specimen, ensuring every sample can be tracked accurately throughout the diagnostic process.

From Transport to Testing

With the specimen safely delivered, laboratory teams can begin testing, generating the information needed to guide patient care and public health decisions.

While this photo essay focuses on Ebola specimen transport in Ituri Province, it reflects a broader effort to strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak response across the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Working with health authorities in 11 provinces, VillageReach has helped build networks of local transporters who safely move patient specimens to laboratories for testing. Their work supports faster diagnosis, treatment, and containment of outbreak-prone diseases such as Ebola, cholera, polio, measles, and yellow fever, helping communities and health systems respond more quickly to public health threats. Learn more.

Direct Relief has provided more than 21 tons of medical support to health organizations, including VillageReach, in response to the current Ebola outbreak in DRC.