DRC Ebola Workers Fight Outbreak Months Without Pay

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s public health institute reported that total infections in the ongoing epidemic reached 4,053, including 1,850 deaths, according to figures covered by Reuters. The outbreak, which has been characterized as the fastest-spreading on record, is concentrated primarily in the remote and conflict-hit eastern Ituri province, which accounts for nearly 90 percent of all confirmed cases. Five provinces in total have recorded infections: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo. This epidemic has been linked to the Bundibugyo virus strain, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.

Frontline Workers Face Unpaid Wages and Severe Daily Hardship

While public health officials struggle to track transmission chains, the welfare of response personnel has emerged as a critical vulnerability. Wiza Bondele, a 29-year-old infection control worker stationed at a hospital in Ituri province, disinfects contaminated areas, checks visitor temperatures, and enforces handwashing protocols—duties that place him in direct contact with infectious bodily fluids.

Ebola Virus Outbreak Confirmed in Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo

“Sometimes patients are bleeding or vomiting blood. We clean and disinfect those places,” the 29-year-old infection control worker told The Associated Press while on duty. “With risks like that, we deserve salaries.”

Wiza Bondele, infection control worker

Bondele is a veteran of the country’s 2018 Ebola response who returned to help his community, according to reporting by Apnews. Instead of receiving the promised monthly salary, he and hundreds of other frontline personnel—including burial teams and drivers—have worked without regular pay since the outbreak was officially declared in mid-May. The financial strain has manifested in severe daily hardships.

Ebola Outbreak Update: DRC and Uganda News | May 18, 2026

Protests and strikes have periodically disrupted response operations as workers abandon health facilities over unpaid wages.

International Missions Urge Scale-Up as Contact Tracing Lags

The mounting economic crisis among workers coincides with alarming epidemiological metrics. A joint high-level delegation from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO)—led by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya, and WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Mohamed Janabi—concluded a visit to Uganda and the DRC to assess operational gaps, as detailed by World Health Organization (WHO).

In contrast to the DRC’s struggles, the delegation evaluated Uganda following its successful containment and declaration of an outbreak-free status on July 28, 2026, after recording 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. However, the situation in the DRC remains severe.

Does Eating Cheese Raise Cholesterol? Here Is the Truth

Africa CDC leadership expressed deep concern over containment efficacy.

Systemic Obstacles and Scientific Investigations

Compounding the financial and tracing challenges, treatment center capacity is severely strained. Meanwhile, researchers examining the epidemic’s origins published findings in the journal Science indicating that infections began circulating in Ituri as early as January, months before the formal May 15 declaration, with more than 500 suspected cases identified during that window.

Health officials emphasize that stopping the epidemic relies primarily on community-led surveillance, trusted local leadership, and resolving the severe resource shortages facing personnel on the ground.