Ebola deaths in Democratic Republic of the Congo reach 600 as health workers threaten strike

At least 600 people have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to government data released on Wednesday and confirmed as of Tuesday. The number of confirmed cases has risen to 1,759, with 51 new cases and 20 deaths recorded in the previous 24 hours. The outbreak is centred in the country's eastern regions, including Ituri province, and officials say the situation is worsening.

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The government report said the total does not yet include two suspected cases in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province, because test results are still being validated. One of those cases is linked to Nia-Nia in Ituri, where the first illnesses were reported. Officials said the second case does not appear to have a geographic link beyond Kisangani.

The response effort is also facing disruption from health workers in Ituri, the hardest-hit of the three eastern regions affected by the outbreak. Front-line workers have threatened to stop work over delayed payments, and some had already stopped working by Tuesday, although no official strike had been declared. In an official notice sent over the weekend, they warned national and provincial authorities that they would strike if they were not paid within 24 hours.

Health workers told reporters they had not received wages or bonuses since the outbreak was declared on 15 May. They also said they were working with limited protective gear and felt unfairly treated by authorities and response teams. The payment dispute matters because Ituri is central to the outbreak response, and any interruption in surveillance, treatment and contact tracing could make containment more difficult.

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The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is generally considered less deadly than some other strains, but there is no approved vaccine for it. The latest figures also come as enrolment begins for clinical trials for treatment of the virus. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May, after the virus had already been spreading for some time.

What remains unclear is how quickly the suspected cases in Kisangani will be confirmed and whether the threatened strike will spread further among response teams. The next official case update will be important for understanding whether the outbreak is accelerating or whether control measures are beginning to slow transmission. For now, the combination of rising deaths, new infections and labour unrest points to a response under significant strain.

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