DRC Ebola Case Count Passes 9,800 as Bafwasende Nurse Is Killed
The World Health Organization confirmed a nurse died and a colleague was injured in an attack in Tshopo province on Saturday, bringing the total case count of the current outbreak to more than 9,800.
By Arjun Tanaka ·
A nurse was killed and another health worker was seriously injured in an attack on Saturday in Bafwasende, a town in the Tshopo province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The World Health Organization confirmed the incident on Sunday. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the agency's Director-General, posted on X that healthcare workers must be able to work in dignity and safety. He stated that healthcare must always be protected.
Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the WHO regional director for Africa, also condemned the violence. He wrote on X that health is not a target and that misinformation and fear must not fuel attacks on responders.
Local authorities have not yet commented on the specific attack or identified suspects. The DRC Ministry of Health reports that the outbreak has produced more than 9,800 cases since May. Over 4,700 deaths have been recorded, making this the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country's history.
Responders say such incidents are slowing containment efforts. They cite widespread distrust of the government, chronic corruption, and a belief among some residents that Ebola is a hoax. These factors complicate work in remote areas that already lack medical supplies and staff.
Similar violence has occurred in recent months. In September, a politician in North Kivu was beaten to death after using a radio show to defend the government's response. In May, residents set fire to tents at two health centres within a single week. Some residents have also held team members captive in designated health zones.
The Bundibugyo strain of the virus has spread to four countries across Africa. It is the widest geographic spread of any Ebola outbreak on the continent. The strain has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Symptoms can take up to 21 days to appear. On Sunday, Uganda's Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced that all citizens returning from the DRC will be quarantined for 21 days. Uganda declared its latest outbreak over in July, but two people who passed through the country later tested positive in Kenya and Nigeria.
Source: Al Jazeera
