Nurse Killed, Another Injured in DRC Ebola Response Attack

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that a nurse was killed and another health worker was badly injured while responding to an Ebola alert in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The attack took place on Saturday in Bafwasende, a town in Tshopo Province in eastern DRC, according to WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus.

Mr Ghebreyesus shared the news in a post on X on Sunday. He expressed his condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the nurse and wished for the injured health worker to recover quickly.

“Everyone working to protect communities from this deadly disease must be able to work in dignity and safety. Healthcare must always be protected,” he said.

The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, also condemned the attack. He emphasized that those responding to the outbreak must be safe.

“Health is not a target,” Mr Janabi said on X. “Those responding to the Ebola outbreak must be protected. Misinformation and fear must never fuel violence.”

This attack comes as DRC faces the largest and deadliest phase of the current Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak.

WHO’s latest update shows that as of October 24, DRC has recorded 9,964 confirmed cases and 4,841 deaths, with 2,670 recoveries. The outbreak has spread to several provinces and remains active in 66 health zones.

The scale of the outbreak has put a lot of pressure on health workers and response teams. They are working hard to find cases, trace contacts, provide treatment, and stop further spread of the disease.

This incident is the latest in a series of attacks on health workers and Ebola responders in the country, according to Al Jazeera.

The report noted that some responders have said doubt about the disease, misinformation, and fear in some communities have made it harder to respond, especially in remote areas that already lack medical supplies and healthcare workers.

The report also stated that people in some affected areas have threatened or even held response workers hostage. In May, residents set fire to tents at two health centers in separate incidents.