In brief
A nurse and a fellow health worker were attacked in North‑East Democratic Republic of Congo while responding to an Ebola alert, resulting in a fatality and a serious injury. Local youths blamed the workers for contaminating water supplies. The World Health Organization condemned the violence and called for protection of health personnel. Meanwhile, Uganda has tightened travel restrictions and imposed 21‑day quarantines for travellers. The incident adds to a series of attacks on aid workers amid an outbreak that has already claimed over 4,800 lives.
A nurse was killed and another health worker seriously injured in an attack as they were responding to an Ebola alert in north‑eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The two officers were struck by local youths who accused them of contaminating water supplies and spreading the virus, according to Radio Okapi. The incident prompted an immediate condemnation by the World Health Organization.
WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said health workers must be able to carry out their duties in safety and dignity, warning that such attacks undermine efforts to control the outbreak.
In response to the escalating threat, Uganda has banned all non‑essential travel to and from the DRC and will quarantine returning citizens for 21 days. The country also limits cross‑border movement to essential personnel such as aid workers and truck drivers.
The current Ebola outbreak in the DRC has already claimed more than 4,800 deaths and infected nearly 10,000 people since May. It is the largest epidemic since the 1997 Jenner outbreak.
This assault follows earlier violence: a politician was beaten to death after promoting Ebola prevention, Red Cross volunteers were injured, and an ambulance was set on fire during violent incidents in the first 100 days of the outbreak.
Kenya and Nigeria reported their first cases linked to the outbreak. The Nigerian patient, a Ugandan‑born wife of a Swiss diplomat, was flown from Abuja to Switzerland for treatment. She and her husband were evacuated after symptom checks.
Both Uganda and Nigeria are working to trace her movements and determine the source of her infection, while Uganda’s Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi reiterated the need for vigilance after the case confirmed its risk persists.
The attacks on health workers highlight the precarious balance between community fear and the urgent need for disease control measures in a region where trust in health authorities remains fragile.
