In brief
A health worker was slain and another badly wounded during a routine Ebola outreach in the Democratic Republic of Congo, heightening fears of violence against medical staff. The attack, carried out by local youths who feared the workers were spreading the virus, led the World Health Organization to condemn the assault and call for safer conditions for frontline responders. In response, Uganda has banned non‑essential travel to and from Congo and will quarantine returning citizens for 21 days. Meanwhile the outbreak, which has claimed over 4,800 lives in the country, continues to spread, with cases now appearing in Kenya and Nigeria.
A nurse and another health worker were killed and severely wounded after being attacked in the north‑eastern Democratic Republic of Congo while attending to an Ebola alert.
Local youths who feared the staff were contaminating water sources and spreading the virus carried out the violent assault, according to Radio Okapi and the United Nations‑backed broadcaster. The World Health Organization quickly condemned the incident, demanding that health workers be protected and have the right to carry out their duties “in safety and dignity.”
In the wake of the attack, Uganda has banned all non‑essential travel to and from the DR Congo and will quarantine any returning Ugandan citizens for 21 days at their own expense. The policy comes after new Ebola cases emerged internationally in Kenya and Nigeria earlier this month.
Since the outbreak started in May, the DRC has recorded more than 4,800 deaths and nearly 10,000 infections. Health authorities in Uganda continue to emphasise vigilance, citing shared borders and frequent cross‑border movement.
The death of the nurse echoes previous attacks on healthcare workers in the region, including a politician who was murdered last month for promoting Ebola countermeasures and earlier incidents where Red Cross volunteers were injured. These events highlight the growing hostility toward frontline responders amid fear and misinformation.
The Nigerian Ebola case involved a Ugandan‑born wife of a Swiss diplomat, flown to Switzerland in urgent care after being detected on a flight through Kampala. Authorities are investigating her possible exposure routes; meanwhile Uganda stresses its strict health screening and monitoring for everyone crossing the border.
For updates on the outbreak and health policies in the region, readers may visit the BBC Africa website or follow BBC Africa on social media platforms.
