Health workers in eastern Congo have protested overdue salaries and allowances, jeopardizing the Ebola response. Security incidents and community mistrust continue to disrupt containment efforts in the second-largest recorded outbreak.
The protests by essential health workers over unpaid wages directly threaten the effectiveness of the Ebola response in a region already struggling with a severe outbreak and ongoing security challenges, potentially leading to further spread of the disease.
Health workers involved in the Ebola response in eastern Congo have staged protests this week, demanding the payment of salaries and allowances that they claim are nearly three months overdue. The demonstrations, which took place outside Ebola treatment centers in Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu in Ituri province, threaten to jeopardize the ongoing containment efforts.
In Mongbwalu, police dispersed protesters on Monday after they caused disruptions outside a hospital. The health workers stated in a letter to President Felix Tshisekedi that the situation "seriously jeopardizes the continuation of the response effort." The communications ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Ebola response efforts are further hampered by security incidents and persistent community mistrust. In Niania, Ituri province, a group of young men briefly blocked a U.N. World Food Programme helicopter and threw projectiles at an Ebola treatment center, leading to police firing warning shots. In neighboring North Kivu province, rumors of a potential curfew sparked protests in Butembo, and an ambulance was vandalized in Beni.
According to the latest government data released on Monday, the current Ebola outbreak, declared on May 15, has infected 3,802 people and resulted in 1,707 deaths, making it the second-largest on record globally.