Editor's note: This series explores how the Ebola outbreak is affecting communities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. In this exclusive episode, CGTN Africa takes you inside Mongbwalu, where residents and health workers are confronting the outbreak and working to contain its spread.

Home to about 140,000 people, Mongbwalu is at the center of a health crisis in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The outbreak was identified as the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, with population movement and displacement complicating efforts to contain transmission. WHO says the outbreak is thought to have originated in Mongbwalu, a high-traffic mining area.

But amid the fear, there is hope. Deogratias Kasereka was the first Ebola patient to recover in Mongbwalu.

"I was declared cured and discharged. I was the only patient to recover among all the confirmed Ebola cases that day. Sadly, all the others died," Deogratias Kasereka said.

Kasereka now travels through local communities, urging people to recognize Ebola symptoms and seek treatment quickly.

But insecurity, weak infrastructure and funding shortages continue to hamper the response. Healthcare workers have also faced attacks, including the burning of a treatment tent in May, further discouraging people from seeking care.

"If you attack a health center or healthcare workers, even symptomatic people outside become afraid to come in for treatment. They fear youth groups or militiamen might target the facility. To ensure proper care and an effective response, security must be guaranteed," nurse Dieudonne Amboko said.

DR Congo Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka recently visited Mongbwalu to assess the Ebola response.

"We are considering the sustainability of the Ebola response to ensure that the health system does not collapse after the epidemic. But for the public, my message is simple: Without community engagement, we cannot eradicate this disease," Tuluka said.

The outbreak is particularly challenging because it is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no specifically licensed vaccine or approved targeted treatment. Supportive care remains critical, while researchers are exploring whether existing Ebola countermeasures could offer protection.

Nearly 90% of the current cases have been reported in Ituri Province, where the outbreak was first detected.

For Mongbwalu, every recovery is a sign of hope; in a town fighting to keep going as the outbreak continues.