Mistrusting the process: containing Congo’s Ebola outbreak

About this episode

<p>Aid is ramping up to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and vaccine work is progressing. But what the Ebola response <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/05/28/congos-response-to-ebola-is-late-and-chaotic?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">most lacks</a> is trust of the community. European governments and businesses are wary of their dependence on America’s tech giants; we examine a spate of <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/05/21/how-europe-is-fighting-for-digital-sovereignty?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">home-grown efforts</a>. And sticky toffee pudding, a staid British classic, gets a sweet <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/03/31/for-the-love-of-sticky-toffee-pudding?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">social-media boost</a>. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>John McDermott, chief Africa correspondent</li><li>Christian Odendahl, European economics editor</li><li>Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, Africa correspondent and sticky toffee pudding enthusiast</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Ebola outbreak, Democratic Republic of Congo, epidemiology, vaccines</li><li>European technology, American tech giants, technological sovereignty </li><li>sticky toffee pudding</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>