Ebola outbreak in Congo tops 2,000 cases as health workers strike over unpaid wages

The Congo Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus has reached 2,011 confirmed cases and 754 fatalities. The latest surge comes as health workers at Bunia General Hospital, the region's largest medical centre, staged a strike on Wednesday over unpaid salaries and bonuses.

Staff and other frontline personnel blocked the hospital entrance, saying they have not been compensated despite working under hazardous conditions. Earlier in the week, dozens of workers at an Ebola treatment centre in Rwampara also walked off the job, agreeing to return only after the government pledged payment within 72 hours.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said more than 100 healthcare workers have become infected since the outbreak began on May 15, and that at least 80% of new cases stem from unknown transmission chains. The agency has traced contacts for 67% of confirmed patients, but the conflict-driven displacement and mining-related movements have hampered efforts to identify the index case.

"Many of the newly reported deaths are of people who died in their communities without ever reaching a health facility and without receiving care," said Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, WHO emergencies chief, after visiting Bunia.

The response is further constrained by a funding shortfall, attacks on health facilities, ongoing insecurity in eastern Congo and community mistrust. Unlike the more common Zaire strain of Ebola, the Bundibugyo virus lacks an approved vaccine or specific treatment, complicating containment measures.