Angry youths armed with machetes attacked two community health workers raising awareness about the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, killing
Angry youths armed with machetes attacked two community health workers raising awareness about the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, killing one and wounding the other, according to officials and a memo seen by Reuters.
The victim was a longtime nurse at the general hospital in Bafwasende, in Tshopo province. The attackers carried machetes and batons and accused the pair of spreading the disease by contaminating water sources.
UN Ebola coordinator Julien Harneis strongly condemned the attack and called for a thorough investigation, urging communities to protect health workers. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed condolences and wished the injured worker a swift recovery.
The injured colleague survived and is recovering in hospital, while other health workers are sheltering at the general hospital under police guard, too afraid to go home.
The army also briefly deployed to the area, and days earlier another community worker who was raising awareness about Ebola was attacked by a mob that set his house on fire.
A local health official said the community’s turn against the nurse was shocking and that it was impossible to believe he was mistaken for a stranger.
The attack comes as the outbreak continues to spread. It is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine.
Recent WHO figures show more than 9,760 cases and about 4,727 deaths in Congo since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
Congo’s public health institute reported 9,964 confirmed cases and a fatality rate of about 48.6%, and Tshopo is one of eight provinces battling the outbreak. The figures differ slightly because they come from different agencies and reporting dates.
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