In Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, medical professionals on the front lines of the Ebola battle face numerous challenges. In addition to shortages of basic supplies, health facilities are experiencing attacks, and patients are fleeing as Ebola spreads rapidly. The northeastern province of Ituri has witnessed at least three attacks, including two over the weekend at a hospital where over two dozen patients escaped.
Health workers, dressed in protective gear, are working tirelessly to control the outbreak. At the General Referral Hospital of Mongbwalu, for instance, teams are disinfecting isolation areas designated for treating Ebola patients.
Such incidents recall the violence that targeted health facilities during a previous outbreak from 2018 to 2020 in eastern Congo, an episode that claimed over 25 health workers’ lives. Some attacks were carried out by civilians who either protested the inability to bury their deceased or believed the outbreak to be a hoax. The influx of resources into regions previously neglected has led to mistrust about the motivations behind the international response.
Dr. Richard Lokodu, the medical director of the Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital, noted the population’s denial of the disease’s existence, with relatives seeking the bodies of those who died from confirmed or suspected cases.
The World Health Organization has pronounced the Ebola outbreak, characterized by the rare Bundibugyo strain, a public health emergency of international concern. WHO’s chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced that there have been over 900 suspected cases, with 101 confirmed individuals infected.
“Responders are now playing catch-up due to delays in detecting cases,” Tedros said on Monday, citing 220 suspected deaths associated with the outbreak.
At the Mongbwalu hospital, 18 patients escaped after “unidentified individuals” set fire to medical tents, managed by the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, to isolate patients. Four lab tests returned results, with one positive and three negative.
Dr. Lokodu reported ongoing search efforts for the confirmed Ebola patient who remains within the community. Further, the hospital faced four attack waves on Sunday by youths mobilized by relatives of a Christian leader who succumbed to Ebola. Seven more patients fled, necessitating police and military intervention to restore order.
During these assaults, a critically ill Ebola patient, hemorrhaging severely, died while attempting to escape. The attackers demanded to collect the bodies of the deceased for burial, though dead Ebola victims are notoriously infectious, and unsafe burials drive transmission.
Similar attacks occurred during the 2013-2016 West African Ebola outbreak. However, attacks multiplied during the Congo outbreak from 2018 to 2020, driven by both spontaneous community violence and organized militia activities exploiting the crisis.
This outbreak is traceable to Ituri and has since spread to North and South Kivu provinces, including regions influenced by Rwanda-supported M23 rebels, and now into Uganda. The total number of Ebola cases in Uganda rose to seven after two new confirmations.
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