Some do not believe the disease even exists - Ndungo says that witnessing Ebola first-hand helped to dispel some of that misinformation.

After his recovery, Kamwanga threw himself into community outreach - sharing his story as a way of combatting rumours and mistrust.

"I started writing my book - The Price of Saving Lives - one week after recovering and leaving the hospital," he says. "However, it is not finished yet. What I currently use during my awareness-raising activities is the draft, and it is already making a significant impact."

During these sessions, he also distributes photos taken while he was sick to help convince residents that Ebola is real.

But in Butembo, this mission remains difficult. Kamwanga explains that some people view awareness campaigns as a way for humanitarian organisations to profit from donor funding.

Such mistrust, which is also levelled at healthcare professionals, is often fuelled by poverty and trauma related to years of armed conflict, he says.

"Ebola has come alongside the war," he says, explaining that some even interpret it as a way for those in authority to threaten a vulnerable population "to finish off those whom the war failed to exterminate".

He also believes that the number of deaths observed during epidemics - compared to recoveries, which are sometimes less visible - reinforce fear and suspicion.

But putting himself on the front line also comes with risks - and Kamwanga says he receives death threats on his phone.

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