Attackers kill nurse, severely injure health worker responding to Ebola case in eastern Congo

Attackers in Bafwasende, Democratic Republic of the Congo killed a nurse and severely injured another health worker on October 24, 2026. The assault highlights escalating violence against responders during the country's deadliest Ebola outbreak on record, which has caused over 4,700 deaths among 9,800 cases since May 2026. Efforts to contain the virus are hampered by government distrust, medical shortages, and widespread misinformation.

Attack on Ebola health workers in Bafwasende

• ▪World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO Africa Regional Director Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi condemned the October 24, 2026 attack on health workers in Bafwasende
• ▪Attackers killed a nurse and severely injured another health worker responding to an Ebola alert on October 24, 2026, in Bafwasende, Tshopo province, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Local resistance and attacks on responders

• ▪In September 2026, a politician in North Kivu was beaten to death after publicly urging citizens on a radio program to follow government Ebola measures such as handwashing and social distancing
• ▪Ebola response team members in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been held captive, and safe burial teams have faced threats while operating in health zones
• ▪Skepticism and belief that Ebola is a hoax led residents to resist the government's village-centered response strategy launched in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• ▪In May 2026, residents set fire to two health center tents in two separate attacks during the first week of the Ebola outbreak

Scale and severity of 2026 Ebola outbreak

• ▪Since the outbreak began in May 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded over 9,800 cases and more than 4,700 deaths, making it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country's history
• ▪The Bundibugyo Ebola strain responsible for the 2026 outbreak has no approved vaccine or specific treatment and has spread across four African countries

Systemic challenges facing Ebola response

• ▪Shortages of medical supplies and healthcare personnel have exacerbated the difficulties health workers face in reaching emerging Ebola hotspots
• ▪Widespread distrust of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's government, driven by chronic corruption and past outbreak management, has complicated efforts by health responders in remote areas