Ebola response officials at the United Nations have strongly condemned the killing of a nurse who was working to halt the spread of the disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The nurse was killed on Saturday in Bafwasende, a rural town located in Tshopo province, by protesters while responding to an Ebola alert. During the same attack, another health worker was severely injured and remains hospitalized for treatment. Julien Harneis, the UN Senior Ebola Response Coordinator, released a statement offering condolences to the family and colleagues of the deceased nurse, while also calling for a thorough investigation into the incident and urging communities to protect health workers so they can work safely.
Reactions and Outbreak Context
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, shared his condolences on social media and wished the injured health worker a swift recovery, stressing that healthcare personnel must be allowed to work in safety and dignity. The fatal attack occurred during ongoing efforts to contain an outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which currently lacks an approved vaccine. According to recent figures from the WHO, more than 9,760 cases and approximately 4,727 deaths have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the outbreak was officially declared on May 15. The epidemic has now expanded to eight provinces, including Tshopo, Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Sud Ubangi, and Nord-Ubangi.
International Cases and Evacuations
Outside of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria confirmed its first case last week involving a female traveler from Uganda. The patient and her husband, who are Swiss citizens, were medically evacuated to Switzerland on Monday morning after the Nigerian medical team stabilized her condition. Dr. Mohamed Janabi, the WHO regional director for Africa, praised the Nigerian government and emergency responders for successfully managing the acute phase of the illness. Although the evacuation leaves Nigeria currently with no active Ebola cases, Dr. Janabi emphasized that vigilance remains critical, noting that authorities will continue monitoring 52 contacts while Switzerland takes over the ongoing care of the patients.
Source: Cosmo News Desk
