Attacks on Ebola centres intensify in eastern DRC amid outbreak fears
Summary
Attacks on Ebola health facilities have increased in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), causing problems for efforts to control the outbreak. Health workers face anger from communities upset about strict rules on handling bodies to prevent the Ebola virus from spreading.Key Facts
- Residents attacked the Rwampara health centre to demand bodies of relatives who died from Ebola.
- A tent at a hospital in Mongbwalu set up by Doctors Without Borders was set on fire after a patient with Ebola symptoms died there.
- Strict burial protocols require health workers in protective gear to handle Ebola victims’ bodies safely to stop the virus from spreading.
- Many locals mistrust health workers and believe rumors, such as Ebola being a business or organ trafficking.
- Traditional customs involve close contact with the deceased, which conflicts with health safety rules.
- Nearly 180 people have died and about 800 Ebola cases have been reported in the outbreak.
- Authorities have limited public gatherings and banned moving bodies between locations to slow virus transmission.
- Violence and patients leaving treatment early may increase the risk of the disease spreading further.
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