A nurse involved in the Ebola response was killed and a school principal was seriously injured in an attack in Bafwasende, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on October 24 after local youths accused them of spreading the virus by contaminating a water source.
The attack took place near the general hospital in Bafwasende, in Tshopo Province, as the two men were returning from their fields, according to local reporting. The principal, who was also involved in the Ebola response, survived after police intervened.
The UN’s Ebola response coordination office condemned the killing on October 25 and called for a thorough investigation. The World Health Organization (WHO) also denounced the attack, warning that misinformation and fear must not fuel violence against healthcare workers. Authorities have called on residents to remain calm and rely on verified health information.
The incident comes amid growing concern over threats against people working to contain the outbreak. Bafwasende’s health zone has reported 19 Ebola cases, including nine deaths, according to local health officials cited by Actualite.cd. Two patients were receiving treatment, while three others who tested positive had reportedly left care facilities.
Health officials say rumors about the disease are undermining efforts to contain it. In Bafwasende, the false accusation that health workers were contaminating water turned into violence, putting those responding to the outbreak at risk.
The killing highlights the security challenges facing Ebola response teams in the DRC. Protecting medical workers and countering misinformation are essential to keeping surveillance, treatment and other response activities running safely.
