Ebola Outbreak in Congo: Health Facilities Under Attack

At least a dozen attacks on health facilities and workers have been reported during the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo, authorities stated on Saturday. Concerns about safety are hampering response efforts, particularly in the most affected areas.

Additionally, many health workers in Ituri province have gone on strike due to unpaid salaries. This situation is further complicating the response in what has been labeled the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record. So far, there have been 2,181 reported cases, including 864 fatalities.

The Bundibugyo virus, which is causing this outbreak, is less common than other strains associated with Ebola, and there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment available.

According to Pierre Akilimali, who manages the Ebola response, many attacks have involved angry mobs storming treatment centers or targeting response teams. These attacks are not confined to healthcare personnel but also affect burial teams.

“Some members of the response teams have been held captive in various health zones. The teams tasked with safe and dignified burials are facing threats in several cemeteries and communities,” Lufongola, operations manager for the Ebola response, remarked during a press briefing.

Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids and contaminated materials. Restrictions on traditional funerals—where loved ones wash and prepare the deceased—have led to anger among some locals.

In Ituri, which accounts for around 90% of the cases, health and aid workers have been seen leaving remote hotspots and relocating to Bunia recently, according to local residents.

Stéphane Dujarric, a U.N. spokesman, expressed concerns about the escalating violence affecting Ebola response efforts, noting that access to treatment centers and surrounding communities is increasingly restricted. He mentioned that several humanitarian partners have had to temporarily relocate staff to the relatively safer Bunia.

The most recent incident took place on Wednesday when residents in Nyakunde attacked a hospital and a nearby Ebola treatment center.

Officials indicated that treatment and care resumed at the center on Thursday after the attack caused patients and staff to flee. However, concerns linger about transmission risks amid the chaos.

“I worry that the aid workers fighting this Ebola outbreak will abandon the area, which will make controlling the situation even more challenging,” voiced Christophe Munyanderu, a civil society leader in Ituri’s Irumu territory.