Nurse killed in eastern Congo as Ebola toll tops 9,800
WHO confirms the death of a nurse and injury of a colleague in Bafwasende, the latest violence to complicate containment of the continent's deadliest outbreak.
By Lucia Orlov ·
A nurse died and a second health worker suffered serious injuries during an attack in Bafwasende, a town in the Tshopo province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The incident occurred on Saturday while the staff were responding to an Ebola alert. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed the casualties in a post on X on Sunday.
The outbreak has now produced more than 9,800 confirmed cases and over 4,700 deaths since it began in May. These figures make it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country's history. The attack on the health workers is part of a pattern of violence that authorities say is slowing containment efforts.
Ghebreyesus wrote that everyone working to protect communities must be able to work in dignity and safety. He added that healthcare must always be protected. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the WHO regional director for Africa, also condemned the violence on social media. He stated that health is not a target and that fear and misinformation must not fuel attacks on responders.
Local authorities have not yet commented on the specific attack or identified suspects. The violence follows other recent incidents. In September, a politician in North Kivu was beaten to death after using a radio show to defend government measures. In May, residents set fire to tents at two health centres in separate attacks within one week.
Widespread distrust of the government, fueled by corruption and skepticism that some people have dismissed Ebola as a hoax, has complicated the response. Responders report that some residents have held team members captive or threatened them in designated health zones. This skepticism is particularly acute in remote areas that already lack medical supplies and staff.
The outbreak has spread to four countries across eastern, central, and western Africa. This represents the widest geographic spread of any Ebola outbreak on the continent. Uganda announced on Sunday that all citizens returning from the DRC will be quarantined for 21 days. This measure follows two cases in Kenya and Nigeria involving people who had recently passed through Uganda.
The specific strain driving the current outbreak is Bundibugyo, which has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Symptoms can take up to 21 days to appear. In an update on October 23, the WHO called for stronger cross-border monitoring while advising against travel or trade restrictions on affected countries.
Source: Al Jazeera
