Emergency WASH Procurement for the Ebola PHEIC: A Supply Planning Guide for NGO Teams in DRC, Uganda, and the East Africa Region

When WHO declared the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 16 May 2026, procurement teams across the region faced an immediate problem that had nothing to do with virology: where to source chlorine, water storage capacity, and personal protective equipment in sufficient quantities, fast enough to matter.

As of 25 May 2026, the outbreak had reached 1,018 suspected and confirmed cases and at least 234 deaths, centred in Ituri Province's Bunia health zone with confirmed cross-border spread to Uganda (WHO Disease Outbreak News, May 2026). With no approved vaccine or therapeutic for the Bundibugyo strain, the entire containment strategy depends on infection prevention and control (IPC), safe and dignified burials, case isolation, and contact tracing — all of which require sustained, high-volume WASH supplies.

The supply chain challenge is compounded by what NPR reported on 21 May 2026: aid agencies are confronting funding shortfalls, access restrictions, and the absence of USAID as a procurement partner following its disbandment in 2025. In this environment, knowing exactly what to order, in what quantities, from where, and on what timeline is the difference between a functioning Ebola Treatment Unit and a facility that runs out of chlorine on day four.

This guide is written for NGO procurement managers, WASH coordinators, and emergency response leads who need to plan and execute WASH supply orders for the current response. It covers what to stock, how to calculate volumes, which product types perform under field conditions, and how pre-positioned regional supply can compress procurement timelines from weeks to days.

Quick answers for field teams:

• Bundibugyo Ebola PHEIC declared 16 May 2026 — 1,018+ cases in DRC and Uganda as of 25 May 2026

• WHO recommends 0.5% chlorine solution (5,000 mg/L) for surface and equipment decontamination in ETUs; 0.05% (500 mg/L) for handwashing and skin contact

• A 20-bed ETU requires a minimum 8,000 litres of water per day — 400 litres per bed — covering decontamination, PPE doffing, laundry, patient care, and staff hygiene

• International shipping to Bunia or Kampala cannot be the primary supply plan for this outbreak; in-region pre-positioned stock is the only viable option for the first 30–60 days

• Free residual chlorine at the distribution point must be verified continuously, not episodically — a result from Monday does not predict quality on Friday

Why the WASH Supply Chain Is the Response

Ebola containment is a logistics problem before it is a clinical one. The virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids; the only way to break transmission at health facility level is to maintain uninterrupted chlorine availability, water volume, and safe waste management. When any one of those fails — when a chlorine drum runs out mid-decontamination cycle, when a water bladder is not replaced before it fails, when PPE stocks are exhausted — health workers become cases.

Data from previous Ebola responses illustrate the scale of consumption. Empirical monitoring from International Medical Corps ETUs in Sierra Leone recorded a median daily consumption of 2,490 litres of 0.5% chlorine solution for surface and equipment decontamination alone — equivalent to 133 litres per admitted patient per day (PLOS ONE, WASH activities at two Ebola treatment units in Sierra Leone). An additional median 2,000 litres per day of 0.05% chlorine solution was used for handwashing and skin contact. These are not peaks — they are medians across operational days.

For a 20-bed ETU, this means planning for a minimum 8,000 litres of treated water per day. A 40-bed facility requires 16,000 litres. These volumes exceed what any small-scale water supply system can sustain without dedicated storage infrastructure — meaning collapsible bladder tanks of 10,000 litres or more are not a luxury; they are the minimum viable infrastructure for water continuity.

The procurement implication is direct: calculate your ETU capacity in beds, multiply by 400 litres per day for water and 133 litres per day of high-concentration chlorine solution, add a 20% contingency buffer, and size your orders from there. Then ask the critical question: can your in-country supplier deliver that volume within 48 hours of a purchase order?

Understanding Your Chlorine Options in the Field

The three chlorine source options available to field teams are sodium hypochlorite liquid, calcium hypochlorite granules or tablets, and chlorine-releasing compounds like sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC). Each has a different shelf life, dilution factor, storage profile, and operational risk under field conditions.

Calcium hypochlorite (HTH), at 65–70% available chlorine, is the most practical source for large-scale field operations in high-temperature environments. Compared to sodium hypochlorite liquid, which degrades rapidly under heat and UV exposure and typically loses 10–15% available chlorine per month, calcium hypochlorite in sealed drums remains stable for 18–24 months when stored correctly. In an environment where goods may sit in a customs warehouse for weeks before forward deployment, this stability is operationally critical.

The standard preparation protocol for ETU decontamination is dissolving calcium hypochlorite to a 0.5% solution (5,000 mg/L). A single 45 kg drum of HTH at 65% available chlorine contains approximately 29.25 kg of available chlorine — enough to produce roughly 5,850 litres of 0.5% solution, or approximately 585,000 litres at a 0.1% (1 mg/L) concentration for water treatment. Field teams should prepare fresh solutions daily — chlorine solutions degrade at accelerating rates in sunlight, heat, and contact with organic matter, and WHO guidance specifies a minimum 30-minute contact time for effective Ebola virus inactivation.

For point-of-use water treatment in displacement settings around the outbreak zone, Aquatabs 67mg sodium dichloroisocyanurate tablets provide a pre-measured dose that eliminates dilution errors at household level. A single Aquatabs 67mg tablet treats 20 litres of clear water to a free residual chlorine concentration of approximately 0.5 mg/L at point of use — within the Sphere Handbook standard of 0.2–0.5 mg/L FRC at the point of delivery under normal conditions. Visit the WASH products page for full product specifications and current stock availability.

Water Storage Infrastructure: What the Volumes Require

The water volume requirements for a functioning ETU cannot be met from a single tap connection or a hand pump. They require dedicated, elevated, or gravity-fed storage infrastructure that can buffer against supply interruptions and maintain pressure for decontamination circuits. The standard field solution is collapsible water bladder tanks, which can be transported flat, erected in under an hour, and redeployed to a new site.

UNICEF's 2026 Ebola response in DRC and Uganda prioritised the rapid dispatch of water tanks and purification supplies to Bunia alongside disinfectants, soaps, and PPE — recognising that water storage capacity was as operationally urgent as clinical supplies (UNICEF USA, Ebola response update, May 2026). For a 20-bed ETU, a minimum of two 10,000-litre bladder tanks gives you one day's operational buffer even if the water source fails entirely for 24 hours.

Bladder tanks from Butyl Products (UK) are constructed from reinforced butyl rubber, which resists UV degradation, chlorine corrosion at concentrations used in decontamination solutions, and physical damage during transport on unpaved roads. The tank design allows for gravity-fed or pump-assisted distribution, with inlet and outlet fittings compatible with standard field pump connectors. For field teams that are also running water supply systems for displaced populations in the surrounding outbreak zone, the same tank infrastructure can supply community distribution points. See the pumps and equipment page for pump specifications compatible with Butyl bladder systems.

One procurement error that consistently recurs in outbreak responses is ordering storage capacity that is insufficient for the product mix on hand. A team that procures 20 drums of HTH but has no safe, covered, dry storage risks both product degradation and a health and safety incident — calcium hypochlorite reacts violently with organic materials and should never be stored in the same space as fuels, acids, or flammable goods. Pre-positioned stock should always be paired with a covered storage solution. Hallgruppen modular warehouses can be established in 48 hours and provide the dry, ventilated storage that chlorine stock requires. See the warehouses and shelters page for specifications and availability.

Procurement Timelines and the Case for Pre-Positioned Regional Stock

The hardest lesson from the West Africa Ebola response of 2014–2016 was that international procurement timelines — typically 21–45 days from purchase order to delivery in Bunia or Kampala — are not compatible with outbreak control in the first critical weeks. The window in which aggressive early containment can prevent exponential growth is measured in days, not weeks.

The 2026 outbreak makes this challenge more acute. As NPR reported in May 2026, the absence of USAID as a procurement and logistics anchor has left a coordination gap that UN agencies and bilateral donors are struggling to fill. Supply chains that previously depended on USAID-funded pre-positioning and rapid mobilisation capacity now require NGOs to carry more of their own logistics burden.

In practical terms, this means procurement teams should not issue their first purchase orders after a PHEIC is declared — they should already have framework agreements with in-region suppliers who hold stock at a known location with known delivery lead times to their area of operations. For organisations operating in Uganda, a Kampala-based supplier with confirmed stock of HTH, Aquatabs, water bladders, and PPE consumables can deliver to Kasese or Fort Portal within 12–24 hours of a purchase order. For teams operating in eastern DRC, stock pre-positioned in Kampala or Juba can be forward-deployed via road or air depending on access conditions.

The UNGM registration requirement for many UN-funded NGOs is also relevant here. Procurement officers contracting with UN sub-grant funding often need to demonstrate that their supplier meets UNGM registration criteria. Working with a UNGM-registered supplier from the outset removes an administrative bottleneck that can delay deliveries by days.

What This Means for Your Programme

The 2026 Bundibugyo Ebola PHEIC in DRC and Uganda is, at its core, a test of whether humanitarian supply chains can move faster than an outbreak that has no approved vaccine. The technical requirements for IPC — chlorine concentrations, water volumes, storage infrastructure, safe waste management — are well established. The constraint is not knowledge; it is supply availability and delivery speed.

Procurement teams who act now, calculate their volumes accurately, and source from suppliers with in-region stock will be operationally ready when their case load peaks. Teams who wait for field confirmation of need before placing orders will spend critical days waiting for product to arrive.

Specialized Logistics Solutions (SLS) holds pre-positioned stock of HTH Calcium Hypochlorite, Aquatabs 67mg, Butyl Products bladder tanks, and P&G Purifier of Water in Juba and Kampala, available for rapid dispatch. Contact the team at sales@maji-safi.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much chlorine does an Ebola Treatment Unit consume per day?

Based on empirical data from ETU operations in Sierra Leone, plan for approximately 133 litres of 0.5% chlorine solution per admitted patient per day for surface and equipment decontamination, plus a further 2,000 litres per day of 0.05% solution for handwashing. A 20-bed ETU should budget for at least 4,700 litres of combined chlorine solution per day, plus a 20% operational contingency.

What is the shelf life of calcium hypochlorite (HTH) in field storage conditions?

Calcium hypochlorite at 65–70% available chlorine stored in sealed drums in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location away from organic materials and flammable goods has a shelf life of 18–24 months. Once opened, drums should be resealed tightly and used within three months. Prepared chlorine solutions degrade within 24 hours in sunlight and heat — prepare fresh solutions daily in Ebola response operations.

Can I use Aquatabs for decontamination in an ETU?

Aquatabs 67mg sodium dichloroisocyanurate tablets are designed for household drinking water treatment and will achieve 0.5 mg/L FRC in 20 litres of clear water. They are not the correct product for high-concentration surface decontamination in an ETU, where 0.5% (5,000 mg/L) solutions are required. Use calcium hypochlorite (HTH) for high-risk zone decontamination. Aquatabs are appropriate for community water treatment in the surrounding outbreak zone and for supplementary point-of-use treatment in lower-risk areas.

What water storage capacity should I plan for a 20-bed ETU?

Plan for a minimum of two 10,000-litre bladder tanks to give one day's operational buffer at 400 litres per bed per day. If your water source is unreliable or dependent on a single tanker supply, scale to three tanks — the cost of a third bladder tank is negligible compared to the cost of a treatment unit that cannot operate because water ran out at 2am.

Is Specialized Logistics Solutions registered with UNGM?

Yes. Specialized Logistics Solutions is registered on the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) under Vendor Number 380716. This makes SLS a valid supplier for procurement officers working under UN funding frameworks, including NGOs holding sub-grants from UNICEF, IOM, WHO, UNDP, and UNMISS, who are required to source from UNGM-registered vendors. Contact sales@maji-safi.org for procurement documentation and stock confirmation.