Nurse Killed, Another Injured While Responding To Ebola Alert In DR Congo

A healthcare worker speaks to a colleague at the Ebola treatment center in Beni, North Kivu province, Congo.

A nurse has been killed and another health worker severely injured in an attack on an Ebola response team in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the World Health Organization.

The attack occurred on Saturday in Bafwasende, in Tshopo province, while the workers were responding to an Ebola alert. The WHO condemned the incident, warning that violence against health personnel threatens efforts to contain the outbreak.

The organisation’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and its regional director for Africa, Mohamed Yakub Janabi, called for the protection of healthcare workers and others involved in the response.

Local authorities had not immediately announced the identities of the attackers or provided further details about their motives.

The incident comes as Congo confronts a severe Ebola outbreak that has placed additional pressure on an already stretched health system. Reports published on October 26 put the cumulative toll since the outbreak began in May at more than 9,800 reported cases and over 4,700 deaths.

Health workers have faced resistance in some communities where misinformation and distrust of authorities have complicated efforts to identify infections, trace contacts and provide treatment.

Previous incidence in the country have included threats against the response teams, attacks on health facilities and violence involving people who supported Ebola prevention efforts.

Such attacks can interrupt surveillance and delay delivery of essential supplies. They can also discourage medical staffs from entering affected communities, leaving vulnerable people with fewer opportunity to receive timely care.

Ebola is a serious viral disease that can cause fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases internal and external bleeding. It spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people or contaminated materials.

Early identification, isolation, infection-prevention measures and appropriate medical care are important to limiting transmission.

The WHO has warned that the fear and false information can encourage an attack on medical personnel and undermine public cooperations with disease-control measures.

Such attacks can interrupt surveillance and delay the delivery of essential supplies. They can also discourage medical staff from entering affected communities, leaving vulnerable people with fewer opportunities to receive timely care.

The latest attack highlights the security challenges facing responders as they attempt to contain the outbreak. Further information about the investigation and the condition of the injured worker was awaited.