Efforts to contain the deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have suffered another setback after a nurse was killed and a health worker severely injured in an attack on a response team in the country’s east.
The attack occurred on Saturday in Bafwasende, a town in Tshopo Province, while the health workers were responding to an Ebola alert, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus disclosed the incident in a post on X on Sunday, expressing concern over the growing threats facing personnel involved in containing the outbreak.
“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, Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, also condemned the attack, warning against the role of misinformation in fuelling hostility towards health workers.
“Misinformation and fear must never fuel violence,” Janabi said.
Local authorities had yet to comment on the incident or identify any suspects as of the time of reporting.
The latest attack underscores the security challenges confronting Ebola responders as the outbreak continues to spread. Data from Congo’s health ministry indicate that more than 9,800 cases and over 4,700 deaths have been recorded since the outbreak began in May, making it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history.
Resistance to the response has been a recurring challenge, with some residents questioning the existence of the disease and rejecting public health measures. Health workers have warned that such distrust, compounded by shortages of medical supplies and personnel in remote communities, is undermining efforts to contain infections.
The latest incident follows the killing of a Congolese politician in North Kivu last month after he publicly defended the government’s Ebola response. The politician had urged residents during a radio programme to comply with preventive measures, including social distancing and handwashing, before he was beaten to death.
Authorities have adopted a village-centred strategy to strengthen community engagement and control the outbreak. However, the approach has encountered resistance in some areas, where distrust of government institutions has been fuelled by concerns over the handling of previous Ebola outbreaks and longstanding allegations of corruption.
The threats against responders are not new. At the beginning of the outbreak in May, angry residents set fire to tents at two health centres in separate incidents within a week.
Members of response teams have also reported being held captive in some health zones, while personnel involved in conducting safe and dignified burials have faced threats.
The repeated attacks raise concerns about the ability of health authorities to reach vulnerable communities, investigate suspected infections and implement preventive measures in areas where Ebola transmission remains a serious public health threat.
 have suffered another setback after a nurse was killed){kind=link}