Exhibition

BOMOKO

50 YEARS OF EBOLA. MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER.

Fifty years ago, an unknown and deadly virus emerged. Today, Ebola continues to affect communities around the world.

With Bomoko, the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp (ITM) takes you on a journey from the virus's initial discovery in 1976 to the most recent outbreaks in 2026. Step into the fascinating world of viruses and discover how science, collaboration and human resilience have transformed our understanding over the past fifty years.

A story that began in 1976. And is far from over.

Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerpen
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Bomoko

About the exhibition

1976. An unknown virus. A thermos flask containing blood samples. And the beginning of an extraordinary scientific journey.

Researchers set out to understand what they were dealing with. They venture into the field, collaborate across borders and search for ways to protect people. What follows is fifty years of outbreaks, new insights, setbacks and scientific breakthroughs.

ITM was involved from the very beginning in 1976 and continues to contribute to Ebola research and outbreak response today. Bomoko brings this story together, from the initial discovery to the questions that researchers are still exploring.

Bomoko means together

Bomoko means 'together' or 'unity' in Lingala. A word that captures the very essence of this exhibition. Because fifty years of Ebola is not the story of a single researcher, institution or country. It is a story of collaboration.

From researchers in laboratories to healthcare workers on the front line. From those working to contain outbreaks to the communities affected by them. And from the first questions raised in 1976 to the ongoing search for better diagnostics, vaccines and treatments.

In Bomoko, discover how knowledge grows when people share experiences, build trust and work together to find solutions.

Fifty years on

Ebola is not a thing of the past. New outbreaks continue to occur, presenting researchers, healthcare workers and communities with fresh challenges time and again.

Much has changed over the past fifty years. Diagnostics have become faster, vaccines and new treatments have been developed, and we have gained a better understanding of how to respond to outbreaks. Yet one lesson runs throughout this story: science alone is not enough. Today, collaboration, trust and strong local healthcare systems remain essential.

That is why Bomoko does more than look back at 1976. The exhibition shows how the lessons learned from fifty years of Ebola can help us better prepare for the epidemics of tomorrow.

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