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Health workers protest in Bunia over unpaid wages amid Ebola outbreak
AP News • • health
Key Points:
- Dozens of Congolese health workers in Ituri province, the epicenter of the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak, protested over unpaid wages, abandoning several health facilities amid ongoing disease spread.
- The outbreak has reached 3,973 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths, making it the second-largest Ebola epidemic on record after the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak.
- Health workers have not received salaries or bonuses since the outbreak began in mid-May, with officials citing logistical challenges for payment delays.
- Attacks on health workers and facilities by rebels and angry mobs have compounded difficulties in managing the outbreak, prompting calls from WHO leadership to improve support for responders.
- Despite increased response efforts, the outbreak continues to spread rapidly, with many new cases arising from remote areas affected by conflict and limited access, complicating contact tracing and containment.
