Health workers in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, have gone on strike over unpaid wages, disrupting response efforts during a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak. The outbreak, declared on 15 May, has already recorded 1,708 cases and 580 deaths, making it the worst in the country's history for a single month, according to health authorities. Front-line workers, including doctors, nurses, burial teams and community outreach staff, say they have not received salaries or bonuses since the outbreak began. Dr. Biensi Kano, an epidemiologist in Bunia, stated that delayed payments have created severe socio-economic hardship and undermined morale. Some workers halted duties by Tuesday after issuing a 24-hour ultimatum to provincial and national authorities.
Protesters lit tires outside the Rwampara Ebola treatment centre on Monday, triggering a brief panic before police intervened. Workers also cited inadequate protective gear and growing frustration over unmet promises. Dr. Ben Bakule, a community investigator, recounted being attacked in late May while tracing contacts in Tutu village, saying he now fears dying for nothing. He and others complain they are spending personal funds on transport without compensation. Treatment centres are nearing full capacity, and the World Health Organization's Dr. Anne Ancia attributed the virus's spread to population movement and insecurity. Akilimali Pierre, incident manager at Congo's National Institute of Public Health, pointed to the closure of Bunia airport as a factor delaying fund disbursement.
Congo's Health Minister Roger Kamba had previously assured response teams in Mongbwalu that their working conditions were a priority and that funds were available. However, front-line staff say those promises have not materialized. Residents in Ituri are increasingly anxious as the strike threatens containment measures that have already strained local economies.
Health workers are risking their lives in an outbreak zone while being told funds are stuck due to airport closures, yet the government had already claimed the money was available. Promises made by the health minister in Mongbwalu stand in direct contrast to the reality on the ground in Bunia. Workers are not only unpaid but accused of being treated as expendable despite handling deadly tasks. If commitments made at the top are not reaching those on the front lines, the response is failing at the most critical level.
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