In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Ebola outbreak is spiralling out of control, with the World Health Organization (WHO) warning that the epidemic is advancing faster than response efforts can manage. In an urgent call to action, WHO’s Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has implored neighbouring nations to bolster their preparedness as the death toll rises amid violent disruptions to medical facilities.
Escalating Violence Against Health Workers
This weekend, chaos erupted in the Ituri province as residents, angered by the handling of the outbreak, launched multiple assaults on health facilities. In Mongbwalu, a town at the outbreak’s epicentre, a series of attacks on the local hospital resulted in the escape of 18 Ebola patients. Dr Richard Lokodu, the medical director of the Mongbwalu general referral hospital, reported that unidentified assailants set fire to isolation tents managed by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), leading to a mass escape of infected individuals.
As tensions mounted, further assaults on the facility occurred, fuelled by relatives of an Ebola victim who had died. Amidst the chaos, one critically ill patient succumbed to the disease while attempting to flee. The perpetrators demanded the release of the deceased for traditional burial—practices that have historically exacerbated the spread of the virus.
WHO’s Dire Assessment
During a recent
