A nurse was killed and another health worker was severely injured in an attack while responding to an Ebola alert in Bafwasende, Tshopo province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
The attack reportedly took place on Saturday, October 24. The injured worker remains hospitalized. Tedros condemned the violence and called for all personnel fighting the outbreak to be allowed to work “in dignity and safety.”
The assault comes as the DRC confronts its largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak on record. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species, was declared in May after the virus was detected in Ituri Province.
Government figures cited by Reuters on October 2 showed more than 8,300 confirmed cases and 4,018 deaths across seven provinces, including Tshopo.
WHO says the response is being complicated by insecurity, population displacement, difficult terrain and heavy movement of people and goods.
The organization is supporting surveillance, contact tracing, clinical care, supplies and community engagement across affected areas.
In Haut-Uélé Province, WHO recently reported that treatment capacity had been expanded and that more than 9,000 frontline workers had been vaccinated as part of a study examining effectiveness of the Ervebo vaccine against Bundibugyo virus.
Health workers have repeatedly faced hostility during Ebola responses in the DRC, where fear, misinformation and distrust can undermine efforts to trace contacts, isolate patients and provide treatment.
Previous outbreaks saw attacks on treatment centres and responders, forcing patients and medical teams to flee. No motive or arrests linked to the Bafwasende attack had been publicly announced at the time of reporting.
The killing has renewed warnings that violence against responders not only claims lives but also threatens efforts to contain an outbreak that has already devastated communities across eastern and northeastern Congo. “Healthcare must always be protected,” Tedros said.
