An Ebola training facility set up by Doctors Without Borders in Kenya is preparing health workers for one of the most complex emergencies they are ever likely to face. The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the fastest growing ever, according to African health officials, and has claimed at least 648 deaths since it was declared in mid-May 2026.
Training Center on the Outskirts of Nairobi
To help prepare for the extremely challenging environment in DRC, the global charity Doctors Without Borders (known by its French acronym MSF) has set up a training center in Ongata Rongai, on the outskirts of Nairobi. Equipped with beds, mannequins, a mock laboratory, and protective gear, the simulation center prepares doctors, nurses, and clinicians for deployments in DRC or other regional countries at risk from the spreading disease.
“Often, you come from a hospital and a university, you have knowledge and you think you can handle it,” said one of the trainees, Cisse Papa Ndiaga, 43, an MSF community health worker from Senegal, soon to be deployed in DRC. “But once you’re in PPE (personal protective equipment), it’s a different story.”
Community Engagement and Empathy
Trainees learn how to deal with the community — who are often scared by the sudden influx of health workers in full protective gear — as well as how to conduct safe funerals and prevent the stigmatization of those who have recovered.
“We need to put more attention on the acceptance of these centers in the communities — it’s something so bizarre for a community to see people dress the way that we’re dressed,” said Diana Corben, 37, a doctor with MSF’s mission in Central African Republic. “One of the key things is to be able to get the communities to engage, to understand. But also to make sure that we have empathy and we... take the time to sensitise them,” she added.
It is also about knowing your own limits, said Corben. “We need to be very much aware of how much we can tolerate... what we’re going to be put through. This is a simulation... the reality is going to be that much more intense.”
Training Scale and Participants
The center began training in mid-June 2026 and is running through to August and perhaps beyond, training around 100 people per month. Most have been MSF staff so far, but the center will also train Kenyan Ministry of Health officials and staff from other non-governmental organizations.
Ndiaga said he was somewhat more confident about his imminent deployment after the training. “I’m not sure I’m ready... but I’m less scared,” he said.
DRC Outbreak Update
The outbreak in DRC is happening in a region plagued by extreme poverty and multiple armed groups, while misinformation about the disease has led some locals to avoid treatment, ignore safeguards, and even attack health workers. As of Thursday, there were 1,830 confirmed Ebola cases (including deaths) in DRC, according to a situation report published by the ministry of communication documenting cases in the previous 24 hours.
