Ebola Deaths in DRC Reaches 600 with 1759 Confirmed Cases as Health Workers Go on Strike Over Unpaid Salaries
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jul 09, 2026 1 hour, 5 minutes ago
Ebola News: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing mounting challenges in its ongoing Ebola outbreak as confirmed deaths have climbed to 600 from 1,759 laboratory-confirmed infections. At the same time, frontline Ebola response workers have staged protests over unpaid salaries, raising fresh concerns about the sustainability of outbreak control efforts. This
Medical News report examines the latest epidemiological data and the growing workforce crisis threatening the country's response.
DRC's Ebola outbreak reaches 600 deaths as expanding transmission coincides with protests by unpaid frontline
health workers
Outbreak Continues to Expand Across Multiple Provinces
According to the latest Ebola situation update released on July 8, the outbreak remains concentrated in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces, where surveillance and patient care systems continue to operate under heightened alert. Authorities reported that 750 patients are currently under medical care, while 285 individuals have recovered from infection. Public health teams are successfully monitoring approximately 80% of identified contacts, an essential measure for interrupting chains of transmission.
The epidemic continues to spread geographically. Twenty-five health zones in Ituri Province are now affected, increasing the overall number of impacted health zones to 37 out of the country's 104 health zones. Health officials have also confirmed two Ebola cases in Kisangani, located in Tshopo Province, with one case epidemiologically linked to the Nia-Nia health zone. Although investigations remain ongoing, authorities have not yet expanded the list of officially affected provinces beyond the existing three.
Enhanced surveillance and strengthened laboratory diagnostic capacity have enabled health authorities to detect infections rapidly, including cases emerging outside the traditional outbreak hotspots.
Rare Ebola Virus Continues to Spread
The World Health Organization has warned that transmission of this rare Ebola virus strain remains active. The disease carries a fatality rate estimated between 30% and 50%, and currently no approved vaccine or specific curative treatment exists for this particular strain, making rapid case detection, isolation, contact tracing, and supportive clinical care the primary tools for limiting further spread.
Health Workers Protest Unpaid Salaries
Complicating the public health emergency, dozens of Ebola response workers gathered outside the Centre Medical Evangelique (CME), Elikya, and Salama treatment centers in Bunia, the capital of heavily affected Ituri Province. Protesters said they had not received payments owed for work performed since the outbreak was officially declared on May 15.
Police dispersed demonstrators outside the CME treatment centre, although it remains unclear whether patient care services experienced significant disruption. A senior Congolese health official stated
that discussions with protesting workers were continuing and that a full strike had not yet begun.
Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba acknowledged shortcomings within the outbreak response's human resources management, particularly regarding the maintenance of accurate payment lists for personnel eligible for compensation.
In a July 5 letter addressed to provincial authorities, Ebola response workers described severe socio-economic hardship caused by delayed payments. They also argued that existing daily allowances failed to reflect the considerable occupational risks and heavy workload associated with Ebola response activities. Workers further demanded increased allowances and the elimination of income tax deductions, maintaining that these payments represent hazard bonuses rather than standard salaries.
The combination of a steadily expanding outbreak, increasing fatalities, wider geographic spread, and dissatisfaction among frontline responders underscores the fragile nature of the current Ebola response. Maintaining timely compensation, protecting healthcare workers, strengthening surveillance, and ensuring uninterrupted clinical services will be critical to preventing further deterioration of the epidemic and preserving public confidence in disease control efforts.
References:
https://x.com/Com_mediasRDC/status/2075187276120743963
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/congo-ebola-response-workers-protest-that-they-have-not-been-properly-paid-2026-07-09/
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