WHO confirms nurse death in Tshopo as DRC Ebola cases exceed 9,800

The World Health Organization confirmed on Sunday that a nurse died and a colleague was seriously injured in an attack in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The assault occurred on Saturday in Bafwasende, a town in the eastern province of Tshopo. The two health workers were responding to an Ebola alert at the time. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the incident in a post on X. He stated that everyone working to protect communities must be able to work in dignity and safety. The agency's regional director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, also reacted to the violence. He wrote that health is not a target and that misinformation must never fuel attacks on responders.

Current data from the DRC Ministry of Health indicates that the outbreak has produced more than 9,800 cases. Over 4,700 deaths have been recorded since the outbreak began in May. These figures make it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the nation's history. Authorities report that incidents like the one in Bafwasende are slowing containment efforts. This is the fastest growing Ebola outbreak in the world. Local distrust of the government's response has complicated work in remote areas. Some residents have dismissed the disease as a hoax. Responders note that health zones often lack medical supplies and staff.

Violence against health personnel has been a recurring issue during this crisis. In September, a DRC politician was beaten to death in North Kivu. He had been defending the government's response on a radio show. At the start of the outbreak in May, residents set fire to tents at two health centres in separate attacks within one week. Teams have also reported that residents have held members captive or threatened them in designated zones. The geographic spread of the disease has widened. The outbreak has now been reported in four countries across eastern, central, and western Africa. This represents the widest spread of any Ebola outbreak on the continent.

Uganda's Minister of Health Chris Baryomunsi announced on Sunday that all citizens returning from the DRC will be quarantined for 21 days. Uganda declared its latest outbreak over in July. However, experts remain cautious after two people who passed through the country tested positive in Kenya and Nigeria. The strain behind the current outbreak, Bundibugyo, has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The WHO notes that symptoms can take up to 21 days to appear. In an update on October 23, the agency called for stronger monitoring and cross border cooperation. It also advised against travel or trade restrictions on affected countries.