Dozens of Congolese health workers in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, have gone on strike to demand wages and bonuses they say they have not received since the Ebola outbreak was declared in mid-May.
The walkout came as confirmed cases reached 3,973, including 1,801 deaths, according to government data published on Thursday. Ituri accounts for nearly 90 percent of cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where aid workers warn the virus is spreading rapidly into remote areas.
At a glance:
- Confirmed Ebola cases: 3,973
- Deaths: 1,801
- Patients in isolation: 674
- Contacts being traced: at least 75 percent
Workers protest outside governor’s office
The health workers protested at the governor’s office in Bunia on Thursday. They said unpaid wages and bonuses have been outstanding since the outbreak was declared, while officials have previously attributed payment delays to logistical problems.
Related coverage: DR Congo faces nearly 1,000 deaths in fast-growing Ebola outbreak.
Edouige Makosi, one of the protesters, said the way the response was being managed meant Ebola would not end in the province and called on authorities at all levels to find a quick solution. Congolese authorities did not immediately comment on the workers’ claims.
Remote spread is complicating the response
Government data shows that 674 patients are currently in isolation, most of them in Ituri. At least 75 percent of contacts were being traced after exposure to patients.
Officials said 60 to 70 percent of new cases were coming from outside those known contacts, mainly from remote localities. Rebel conflict and mining-related movements are limiting access to those areas, while several health workers and facilities have been attacked by rebels and angry crowds.
More context: DR Congo faces surge in Ebola infections reaching 3,200 cases and 1,405 deaths.
WHO and MSF call for support and faster action
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged authorities to prioritise care and support for responders during a visit to the DRC on Wednesday. Poor welfare for front-line workers has been a key concern in the outbreak.
Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, said the outbreak was spreading at an “alarming and unprecedented rate” and that the expanding response was still not reaching communities quickly enough to break transmission chains. MSF deputy medical director Philippa Boulle said immediate action was needed because delays allowed the virus to continue spreading and more lives to be lost.
Second-largest Ebola outbreak on record
The outbreak is the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, according to the supplied report. It is behind the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, which recorded more than 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths.
Also read: Challenges for Health Workers as Ebola Spreads in Eastern DRC.
The current response is unfolding in one of the DRC’s most remote and vulnerable areas, which has been affected by conflict between armed groups. The combination of access constraints, attacks and disputes over responder pay is putting pressure on efforts to control transmission.
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