DRC Ebola cases top 9,800 as nurse killed in Tshopo attack

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the deadliest in the nation's history, with case counts surpassing 9,800 and deaths exceeding 4,700 since May. Against this backdrop, a nurse was killed and a colleague seriously injured in an assault in Bafwasende, a town in the eastern province of Tshopo.

The violence occurred on Saturday while the health workers were responding to an alert. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the incident on X on Sunday. He stated, "Everyone working to protect communities from this deadly disease must be able to work in dignity and safety. Healthcare must always be protected." Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the WHO's regional director for Africa, also condemned the attack on X, noting, "Health is NOT a target." He added that misinformation and fear should not fuel violence against responders.

Local authorities have not yet commented on the specific attack or identified suspects. This incident follows a pattern of violence that authorities say is slowing containment efforts. In May, angry residents burned tents at two health centers in separate attacks within a single week. Last month, a politician in North Kivu was beaten to death after defending the government's response on a radio show. Responders report that some residents have held team members captive or threatened them in designated health zones.

The Bundibugyo strain causing the outbreak has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Symptoms can take up to 21 days to appear. The WHO called for stronger monitoring and cross-border cooperation in an October 23 update while advising against travel or trade restrictions. The outbreak has now spread to four countries across eastern, central, and western Africa, representing the widest geographic spread of any Ebola outbreak on the continent.

Uganda's Minister of Health Chris Baryomunsi announced on Sunday that all citizens returning from travel to the DRC will be quarantined for 21 days. Uganda declared its latest outbreak over in July, but experts remain watchful after two people who had recently passed through the country later tested positive in Kenya and Nigeria. The government's handling of the crisis, combined with chronic corruption, has fed widespread distrust, with some people dismissing Ebola as a hoax.

This skepticism has complicated work in remote areas and emerging hotspots that already lack medical supplies and health staff. The Ministry of Health figures confirm the scale of the emergency as the number of cases continues to rise. The attack in Bafwasende underscores the physical dangers faced by those on the front lines of this rapid expansion.