Health workers at the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak protest over unpaid wages at the provincial governor’s office in Ituri, eastern Congo, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026.
Frontline health workers battling the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo say they are risking their liv๐s without receiving the salaries they were promised, prompting strikes and fears that staff shortages could undermine efforts to contain one of the country’s worst outbreaks as infections continue to rise.ย
Healthcare workers involved in the Ebola response say they have gone for months without receiving their salaries despite ๐ฐorking in some of the most dangerous conditions of the outbreak.
Among them is Wiza Bondele, a member of the Ebola infection prevention and control team who also worked during the country’s 2018 outbreak. His team disinfe๐ts homes where Ebola victims have died, reducing the risk of further transmission.
Bondele said workers launched a strike ๐ขn July after authorities failed to address their concerns over unpaid wages and hazardous working conditions.
He said some workers who eventually received payments were given $380 instead of the promised $510, while many oth๐rs remained unpaid.
Dangerousย workingย conditions
Bondele described working seven days a week in heavy personal protective equipment for extended periods, often longer ๐ญhan safety guidelines recommend.
He said workers regularly deal with pati๐nts suffering severe symptoms, including vomiting blood, while lacking adequate support and compensation.
The combination of exhausting hours, h๐zardous conditions and delayed salaries has left many questioning whether they can continue serving on the front lines.
Fearย ofย spreadingย theย virus
Beyond the physical strain, Bondele said his greatest concern is the possibility of ๐ecoming infected and transmitting Ebola to his family and community.
Although he has considered leaving the job because of the risks, he said he is wait๐ขng to see whether authorities will honour their commitments and pay workers for the months they have already served.ย
Familiesย callย forย strongerย response
The outbreak has also devastated famili๐s who have lost loved ones to the virus.
Georgine Imani, whose father died from Ebola, appealed to authorities to intensify efforts to find effective medicines and ๐ring the outbreak under control.
Outbreakย continuesย toย worsen
The latest Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has already ๐ฌurpassed the country’s 2018 outbreak in confirmed cases.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the epidemic is following a trajectory significantly worse than previous outbreaks, raising concerns that shortages of frontline workers could further hamper containment e๐forts.
ยฉ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ยฎ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ.๐๐จ๐ฆ/๐๐๐๐ข๐จ/ ๐๐
