Frontline healthcare workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are struggling to contain an exponential surge in Ebola cases while facing significant personal risk and a lack of pay. Nurses and hygiene staff at treatment centers, including the Elikya facility in Bunia, report that they are working under immense pressure as the virus spreads across six of the country’s 26 provinces.
Sophie Mwadawa Kabundo, a nurse at an Ebola treatment center in the north-east, described the daily fear of contracting the virus and potentially infecting her family. She noted that the facility is seeing an increasing number of confirmed admissions and that several colleagues have already died. Kabundo expressed frustration over missing wages, emphasizing that staff are operating under extreme conditions without the financial support they are owed.
Martin Bolombi, a hygiene worker at the Elikya center, echoed these concerns. Having worked since May, he reported receiving payment only for the month of June. Bolombi, who participated in a protest involving approximately 100 staff members last month, stated that he continues to work seven days a week despite the stress and lack of remuneration, driven by a sense of duty to help stabilize the situation.
The humanitarian crisis is compounded by the scale of the outbreak, which senior UN Ebola coordinator Julien Harneis described as spreading across an area larger than France. As of late August, more than 2,500 people have died. Harneis warned that existing funding is expected to be exhausted within weeks and noted that 160 healthcare workers have fallen ill, with 43 deaths recorded among staff.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that the current outbreak, which involves the rare Bundibugyo strain, is on track to surpass the 2014-16 West African epidemic in scale. While the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern in May, subsequent sequencing revealed the outbreak likely began in February. The Ituri province, bordering Uganda and South Sudan, remains the epicenter with over 4,200 confirmed cases.
Efforts to control the virus are further hindered by community mistrust, misinformation, and infrastructure deficits. Dr. Eddy Kambale Kahandukya of Médicins Sans Frontières highlighted that patients often avoid health centers until it is too late, leading to the creation of new transmission clusters. Manon Dumortier of Mercy Corps added that fear and confusion regarding the rapid death toll have fueled rumors, further complicating the response.
The virus, which spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials, presents symptoms ranging from fever and fatigue to severe organ impairment. While trials for treatments and vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain are ongoing, there are currently no approved options available.
In neighboring Uganda, authorities reported 20 cases and two deaths, all localized in Kampala. The Ugandan government declared the country Ebola-free on July 28, following the discharge of the final patient on July 16. Meanwhile, the Congolese health ministry has not provided a response regarding the ongoing wage disputes or the broader resource challenges faced by frontline staff. The report also notes that “We fear that, despite our vigilance, workplace accidents may occur and put us in ever greater danger … We go to sleep already worrying about the days ahead, as patients continue to pour in.”. The report also notes that “Personally, this outbreak is causing me a lot of stress,” he said. The report also notes that “But I have no choice but to pluck up my courage and ensure that the situation is brought under control first, before it can stabilise.”. The report also notes that “We are not being paid and we want the government to provide solutions as soon as possible,” she said. The report also notes that “We are under immense pressure … We are exposed to the risk of infection, and our families and other loved ones may contract the disease because of us.”. The report also notes that speaking on a video call from Bunia, Harneis called for more aid, saying the existing pool of funds would run out within weeks. The report also notes that “And all of this is happening in an area that has had three decades of conflict and is generating huge humanitarian needs.”.