WHO Director Condemns Attack That Killed Nurse in DRC Ebola Response

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed on Sunday that a nurse was killed and a second health worker severely injured during an attack on responders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The incident occurred on Saturday in the town of Bafwasende, located in the eastern Tshopo province.

Ghebreyesus stated in a post on the social media platform X that individuals protecting communities from the disease must be able to work in dignity and safety. He emphasized that healthcare must always be protected. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the WHO regional director for Africa, also condemned the violence on X, declaring that health is not a target and that misinformation and fear should not fuel such acts.

Data from the DRC Ministry of Health shows the outbreak has resulted in more than 9,800 cases and more than 4,700 deaths since it began in May. These figures make it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history. Authorities indicate that a series of attacks on health workers is hampering efforts to slow the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in the world.

Local authorities have not yet commented on the specific attack or identified the suspects. Responders report that widespread distrust of the government, combined with chronic corruption, has complicated their work. Some residents dismiss the disease as a hoax, a sentiment that has intensified in remote areas and emerging hotspots that already face shortages of medical supplies and staff.

Violence against responders has become a recurring issue. Last month, a DRC politician was beaten to death in North Kivu after defending the government’s response on a radio show. In May, at the start of the outbreak, angry residents set fire to tents at health centers in two separate attacks within one week. Responders say some residents have held team members captive or threatened them in designated health zones.

The outbreak has now spread to four countries across eastern, central, and western Africa, giving it the widest geographic spread of any Ebola outbreak on the continent. On Sunday, Uganda’s Minister of Health Chris Baryomunsi announced that all citizens returning to the country with a history of travel to the DRC will be quarantined for 21 days. Uganda declared itself Ebola-free in July after ending its latest outbreak, but experts remain alert after two people who passed through the country later tested positive in Kenya and Nigeria.

The Bundibugyo strain responsible for the current outbreak has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Symptoms can take up to 21 days to appear. In an update on October 23, the WHO urged stronger cross-border monitoring and cooperation while advising against restrictions on travel or trade with affected countries.