Frontline health workers battling the Democratic Republic of Congo's rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak staged protests Thursday over months of unpaid wages, threatening to abandon their posts as the epidemic claims more than 1,800 lives and shows no signs of slowing.
Dozens of Congolese health workers at the epicenter in Ituri province demonstrated at the governor's office in Bunia, the provincial capital accounting for nearly 90% of the country's Ebola cases. The nurses and medical staff providing critical care to Ebola patients said they haven't received wages and bonuses since the outbreak was declared in mid-May in one of Congo's most remote and vulnerable areas ravaged by rebel conflict. Officials have blamed logistical issues for the payment delays.
Broken Promises and Dangerous Conditions
Wiza Bondele, a member of the Ebola infection prevention and control team who also worked during the country's 2018 outbreak, said his team disinfects homes where Ebola victims have died to reduce the risk of further transmission. Workers launched a strike in July after authorities failed to address their concerns over unpaid wages and hazardous working conditions. Some workers who eventually received payments were given $380 instead of the promised $510, while many others remained unpaid.
Bondele said workers were spending seven days a week in heavy personal protective equipment for extended periods, often longer than safety guidelines recommend, and regularly dealing with patients suffering severe symptoms, including vomiting blood, while lacking adequate support and compensation. His greatest concern was becoming infected and transmitting Ebola to his family and community. He said he'd considered leaving the job because of the risks, but was waiting to see whether authorities would honor their commitments and pay workers for the months they'd already served.
Outbreak Accelerating Beyond Control
Congo's Ministry of Health reported 3,874 confirmed cases and 1,751 deaths, while AP reported 3,973 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths as of Tuesday. The outbreak, which began in May, has been described as the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded and the fastest-spreading in Congo's history.
Government data shows 674 patients are currently in isolation, most of them in Ituri, and at least 75% of contacts are being traced after exposure to patients. Authorities said 60% to 70% of new cases in the current outbreak are recorded outside of contacts being monitored, and that the outbreak is spreading at an "alarming" rate faster than efforts to track it.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the epidemic is following a trajectory significantly worse than previous outbreaks. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders said this week that the outbreak is still "spreading at an alarming and unprecedented rate" and that the response, which has been expanding, "is still not reaching communities quickly enough to break transmission chains."
International Response and Quarantine Measures
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with President Félix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa on Wednesday, his second visit to the country since the outbreak was declared in mid-May. Tedros, accompanied by Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Jean Kaseya, said the situation remains deeply concerning as transmission continues to rise. During his visit to Congo on Wednesday, Tedros urged authorities to prioritize care and support for responders.
The United States announced an additional $242 million in funding for emergency Ebola response, preparedness and humanitarian support across the region. Families affected by Ebola have also appealed for stronger action. Georgine Imani, whose father died from Ebola, called on authorities to intensify efforts to find effective medicines and bring the outbreak under control.
Authorities also held nearly 200 boat passengers in quarantine near Kinshasa on Thursday after one traveler who'd been aboard the boat died with symptoms matching Ebola. Dr. Jean Kaseya said the passenger had become sick and disembarked nearly three weeks ago in Pimu, in the province of Mongala, more than 1,000 kilometers from Kinshasa along the Congo River, and later died. He said the capital has no confirmed Ebola case.
Authorities didn't give the boat's current location beyond saying it was near the capital, and didn't say whether the nearly 200 remaining passengers were being held aboard the ship or on land, or how long they'd be held. They said they were awaiting test results. Kaseya said, "We decided to do that even if some of them didn't have symptoms because we want to make sure that we don't miss anything."
Edouige Makosi, one of the protesters, said, "With this way of managing things, Ebola will not end in this province. We ask the authorities to get involved at all levels so that a solution is found quickly."
Why This Matters:
The crisis exposes fundamental governance failures that undermine disease response when it's needed most. When frontline workers can't rely on promised compensation for life-threatening work, the entire containment effort collapses from within. The $242 million in U.S. funding highlights the international community's willingness to support emergency response, but money alone won't solve systemic accountability problems. Congo's inability to pay its own health workers while accepting international aid raises serious questions about resource allocation and administrative capacity. With 60% to 70% of new cases arising outside monitored contacts, the outbreak threatens to overwhelm not just Congo's health infrastructure but regional stability. The quarantine of 200 boat passengers near Kinshasa demonstrates how quickly an uncontrolled outbreak in remote areas can threaten major population centers, with potentially catastrophic economic and humanitarian consequences across central Africa.