Health workers at an Ebola treatment center in eastern Congo have initiated a strike over unpaid performance bonuses, halting crucial patient care amid the nation's fastest-growing outbreak on record.
The Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia, Ituri province, saw its operations significantly disrupted Saturday as doctors, nurses, and security staff ceased work. Approximately one hundred health workers protested outside the facility, demanding payment for two months of overdue bonuses.
Staff issued a statement Friday indicating they had unanimously voted to strike until concrete solutions were reached for the unpaid arrears. This action follows a similar strike last week by health workers at Bunia General Hospital, the region's largest medical facility, who protested unpaid salaries, with some reporting no payment since the outbreak began.
According to government data released Friday, the number of confirmed Ebola cases in Congo has reached 2,973, resulting in 1,309 deaths. The World Health Organization reports that more than 100 healthcare workers have contracted the virus since the outbreak commenced on May 15. The Central African nation is battling the outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus, distinct from the Zaire virus responsible for most prior outbreaks in Congo, for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists.
Of the 766 patients currently in isolation or hospitals, 540 have recovered. The Ituri province accounts for nearly 90% of the confirmed cases. The outbreak continues to spread rapidly, outpacing containment efforts.
Challenges to the response include difficulties in identifying the initial source of the outbreak (patient zero), population displacement due to armed conflict and mining activities, and a funding gap. Attacks on health centers, ongoing conflict, and community mistrust also impede efforts. An enrollment for a study of two potential Ebola treatments recently began in Ituri.
The World Health Organization assesses the global risk of the outbreak spreading outside Central Africa as low, noting that Ebola primarily spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, making it less transmissible than airborne viruses.