A protest at an Ebola treatment centre in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo turned violent on Thursday when demonstrators set fire to tents after health workers prevented them from retrieving the body of a man believed to have died from the virus.
The attack occurred at Rwampara General Hospital in Ituri province, near the epicentre of the country’s latest Ebola outbreak, where witnesses and police officials said local youths stormed the facility and set ablaze tents used for treating patients, leaving one health worker injured during the unrest.
Police later restored order at the site, while authorities said initial reports that patients had escaped were unfounded, as aid organisations operating at the centre, including Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), condemned the incident.
The protest took place as the Democratic Republic of Congo battles its 17th Ebola outbreak, declared on May 15 and driven by the rare Bundibugyo virus strain. Health authorities have reported hundreds of suspected cases and more than 100 suspected deaths, with dozens of cases confirmed by laboratory testing.
Cases have been identified in Ituri province health zones including Rwampara, Mongbwalu and Bunia, with some spread reported into parts of North Kivu province. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17.
Two confirmed cases linked to travel from DRC were reported in Uganda, though no local transmission has been established there.
Response teams are continuing efforts to expand treatment facilities, strengthen contact tracing and improve infection prevention and control measures in the affected region.
