DR Congo Ebola Cases Reach 2,011 as Healthcare Workers Protest Unpaid Wages
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has grown to 2,011 confirmed cases, including 754 deaths, as healthcare workers in the hardest-hit Ituri province begin strikes over unpaid wages.
Staff at Bunia General Hospital blocked entrances on Wednesday, saying they have received no compensation since the outbreak began despite working in dangerous conditions. Earlier, workers at Rwampara General Hospital, including epidemiologists and burial teams, also stopped work over months of unpaid salaries.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) described the outbreak as one of the largest and fastest-growing Ebola outbreaks on record. The World Health Organization warned that the actual death toll could be significantly higher than official figures.
The outbreak, which began on May 15, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists. A clinical trial testing an antiviral drug to prevent infection among exposed people has recently begun.
