Nurse Killed by Mob Responding to DRC Ebola Case
Source reports published 26 Oct 2026, 10:00 am – 27 Oct 2026, 12:56 pm AEST
A nurse was killed by a machete-wielding mob while responding to an Ebola alert in the DRC. Health workers are facing attacks and distrust, hindering efforts to contain the outbreak.
What happened
- In Bafwasende, DRC’s Tshopo province, on Saturday, a nurse was killed and another health worker injured by a group of armed individuals.
- WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the attack, emphasizing the need to protect healthcare workers.
- Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi similarly called for protection of responders and denounced violence fueled by misinformation.
- The attack occurred amidst widespread distrust of the government’s response to the Ebola outbreak, compounded by chronic corruption and skepticism about the disease.
- Over 9,800 cases, including more than 4,700 deaths, have been recorded since May.
- Uganda has implemented a 21-day quarantine for citizens returning from the DRC, following reported cases in Kenya and Nigeria.
- Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, and the Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or treatment.
Original reporting
- Al Jazeera: Attackers kill nurse, injure health worker responding to DRC Ebola case
2026-10-26T00:00:00+00:00 - Sky News: Nurse treating Ebola patients killed by machete-wielding mob
2026-10-27T02:56:00+00:00