Health workers strike disrupts Ebola response in Congo

2 min read

Health workers at the epicenter of Congo's Ebola outbreak have walked off the job in Ituri province to protest delayed wages and bonuses and limited protective gear, officials and workers said. The outbreak, declared on May 15, has recorded 1,708 cases and 580 deaths, and authorities say the first month was the worst on record. The walkout threatens response efforts as some treatment centers approach full capacity and enrollment begins for clinical trials of treatments for the Bundibugyo virus, while WHO warns the virus is spreading amid population movement and insecurity.

Unpaid health workers risk slowing the Ebola outbreak response.