Protesters kill longtime nurse treating Ebola patients in Congo
Angry youths armed with machetes attacked two community health workers raising awareness about the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, killing a longtime nurse and severely injuring another worker. The incident occurred in the rural town of Bafwasende in Tshopo province while responders answered an Ebola alert. Other health workers were forced to shelter under police guard following the violence. The attack stems from ongoing misinformation accusing health workers of spreading the virus. United Nations officials and the World Health Organization strongly condemned the killing and urged communities to protect medical personnel.
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- ✓ Angry youths armed with machetes attacked two community health workers raising awareness about the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, killing one and wounding the other.
- ✓ The nurse was killed by protesters in Bafwasende, a rural town in Tshopo province, on Saturday while responding to an Ebola alert.
- ✓ Other health workers were sheltering under police guard following the incident.
- ✓ Julien Harneis, UN Senior Ebola Response Coordinator, strongly condemned the attack and called for a thorough investigation.
What changed
A longtime nurse responding to an Ebola alert in Bafwasende was killed by protesters, and a second health worker was severely injured.
Live updates
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Protesters Kill Nurse Treating Ebola in Congo
Angry youths armed with machetes attacked two community health workers raising awareness about the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, killing a longtime nurse and severely injuring another worker. The incident occurred in the rural town of Bafwasende in Tshopo province while responders answered an Ebola alert. Other health workers were forced to shelter under police guard following the violence. The attack stems from ongoing misinformation accusing health workers of spreading the virus. United Nations officials and the World Health Organization strongly condemned the killing and urged communities to protect medical personnel.
Why it matters
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine. Health responses in the region face severe security challenges due to persistent rumors and hostility toward medical staff. Outbreak data indicates thousands of infections and deaths across the Democratic Republic of Congo since the health crisis began.
What is confirmed
- Angry youths armed with machetes attacked two community health workers raising awareness about the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, killing one and wounding the other.
- The nurse was killed by protesters in Bafwasende, a rural town in Tshopo province, on Saturday while responding to an Ebola alert.
- Other health workers were sheltering under police guard following the incident.
- Julien Harneis, UN Senior Ebola Response Coordinator, strongly condemned the attack and called for a thorough investigation.
- WHO Executive Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed condolences and wished a swift recovery to the injured health worker.
What to watch next
- Results of the thorough investigation called for by UN Senior Ebola Response Coordinator Julien Harneis
- Updates on the medical condition of the severely injured health worker remaining in the hospital
- Further security measures taken to protect health workers responding to Ebola alerts in eastern Congo
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (14)
- news.un.org — UN News | Global perspective Human stories
- BBC — Ebola outbreak: DR Congo nurse killed in attack as Uganda tightens border
- AP News — Attackers kill nurse, severely injure health worker responding to Ebola case in eastern Congo
- Al Jazeera — Attackers kill nurse, injure health worker responding to DRC Ebola case
- The Telegraph — Nurse accused of spreading Ebola murdered by mob
- Reuters — Protesters kill longtime nurse treating Ebola patients in Congo
- www.thestar.com.my — AI worries expose dollar's hot-money problem
- www.straitstimes.com — Protesters kill longtime nurse treating Ebola patients in Congo
- www.thestar.com.my — Protesters kill longtime nurse treating Ebola patients in Congo | The Star
- srnnews.com — Protesters kill longtime nurse treating Ebola patients in Congo
- www.yahoo.com — Machete-wielding mob attack health workers responding to ...
- www.pbs.org — Congo's Ebola deaths top 5,000 as fear of continent-wide spread mounts
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