A nurse involved in the Ebola response was killed in Bafwasende, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Tshopo province, on Saturday, 24 October. Another person involved in the response was seriously injured.
The World Health Organization’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, condemned the attack on Sunday and called for protection for those working against the disease.
“Healthcare must always be protected,” he said. WHO’s regional director for Africa, Mohamed Yakub Janabi, also condemned the violence.
The office of the UN’s senior Ebola response coordinator, Julien Harneis, called for a thorough investigation. Its statement, quoted by Actualite.cd, expressed condolences to the nurse’s family and colleagues and urged communities to allow health personnel to work safely.
Actualite.cd identified the injured person as a primary-school headteacher who also participated in the response. It cited Bafwasende health-zone chief Dr Likilo Marcel as saying the nurse died at the scene.
Marcel said the two were attacked near the general hospital while returning from their fields. He also reported other recent attacks against people connected with the response, including the burning of a community health volunteer’s home.
Radio Okapi reported that the violence occurred in Bafwasende-centre’s Digidi neighbourhood. It said the attackers had accused the victims of spreading Ebola through local water sources, allegations rejected by health and administrative authorities as rumours.
The broadcaster reported that police intervened to rescue the injured teacher. Territorial authorities condemned the killing and appealed for calm.
A local security council meeting took place on Sunday to examine the circumstances and consider measures to prevent further violence. Police were searching for those responsible and suspected instigators, Radio Okapi reported.
Authorities also urged residents to rely on information from official health services.
