D.R. Congo: Ebola workers protest over unpaid wages as death toll nears 600

Ebola response workers in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo staged protests on Thursday outside three treatment centres in Bunia, the capital of hard-hit Ituri Province, saying they had not been paid what they were owed for their work.

Dozens of members of Ebola response teams gathered outside the Centre Medical Evangelique, Elikya and Salama treatment centres, with police dispersing one of the demonstrations outside the CME.

The protests come as the outbreak continues to worsen, with 1,759 confirmed infections and 600 deaths recorded since the outbreak was declared almost two months ago.

Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba acknowledged there had been problems with the human resources side of the response, particularly with keeping payment lists updated and accurate.

Frontline workers, including safety and security teams, community outreach staff, and burial teams, say the delays have piled financial hardship onto already dangerous work.

Some workers had previously threatened to strike if wages were not settled, and although talks have been ongoing between authorities and aggrieved staff, it remains unclear whether a full walkout has been averted.

The World Health Organisation said this week that transmission of the rare Ebola strain was continuing, with the virus killing between 30% and 50% of those infected and no approved vaccine or cure currently available.

Regional health authorities say they are working to speed up payments — an Africa CDC official said the agency has provided Congo with about $2 million to support its Ebola response, some of which could go toward covering the delayed wages, stressing the importance of maintaining morale among frontline workers.

With the outbreak still spreading and treatment centres under mounting pressure, resolving the pay dispute quickly is seen as critical to keeping the response on track.