Congo's Ebola outbreak has killed more than 4,000 as health workers
protest delayed payment
[October 02, 2026]
BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Congo's Ebola outbreak has recorded more than
4,000 deaths, authorities said, as they struggle to contain the spread
of the virus.
The latest figures released by the Health Ministry on Thursday showed
that 4,018 people have died, making up nearly half of the 8,300
confirmed cases, in what has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak
in history.
Congo announced an outbreak on May 15, caused by the rare Bundibugyo
virus, which has no known treatment or vaccine.
Some health workers gathered in Bunia, the capital of northeastern Ituri
province, the heart of the outbreak, to demand payment for owed wages.
They were quickly dispersed by officials. The protesting workers
included surveillance team members, who identify people exposed to
infected patients. They waved placards saying, “No money, no data!” and
“No payment for months."
Front-line workers have gone on several strikes since the start of the
outbreak to demand payment, further hampering efforts to contain the
disease.
Infected aid worker evacuated to Netherlands
An aid worker with Médecins Sans Frontières, known in English as Doctors
Without Borders, was infected with Ebola while working in Congo, the
group said in a statement.
The worker arrived late Thursday night after being flown to the
Netherlands on a special medical flight and was transferred to a
high-level isolation unit, the Leiden University Medical Center said in
a statement.
“The human cost of this crisis is unprecedented in the DRC, with
communities facing the largest Ebola disease outbreak ever recorded in
the country,” MSF said.
More than 50 health workers have died after contracting the virus.
Insecurity and community resistance are hampering containment efforts
The World Health Organization has recently raised the alarm about the
virus’ rapid spread into new health zones, stretching limited resources.
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A healthcare worker in protective clothing is disinfected by a
colleague inside a treatment center for Ebola patients in Beni,
North Kivu province, eastern Congo, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP
Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi)
 Africa CDC said in its latest news
conference that the number of newly confirmed cases is falling, but
that could be attributed to insecurity and challenges in getting
communities to cooperate in some of the hotspots.
A Congolese politician was attacked and beaten to death earlier this
week for defending government measures in dealing with the outbreak,
highlighting tensions that have stretched both the health community
and local resources.
The attack on Marie-Célestin Karondwa, a local official with Congo’s
ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress party, took place on
Sunday at his home in Butembo, an Ebola hotspot in eastern North
Kivu province. His house was set on fire afterward, and he died at a
hospital from his injuries.
Widespread mistrust of health workers and the authorities has
hampered efforts to slow the Central African nation's 17th Ebola
outbreak.
Authorities last month launched a village-centered approach, but
those efforts face resistance from residents who dismiss Ebola as a
hoax. There is also deep distrust in the country’s government for
reasons ranging from how it’s managed past Ebola outbreaks to
chronic corruption.
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