‘There’s no salary’: DRC health workers tell of hardship as Ebola spreads

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that health workers responding to an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are facing unpaid wages, infection risks, shortages of protective equipment and violence from communities distrustful of the response. The report, published July 24 from Bunia in Ituri province, focuses on staff linked to the Rwampara General Hospital and its Ebola treatment centre near Bunia, where some workers recently stopped work over pay concerns.

According to the article, the World Health Organization has warned that the outbreak could become among the most severe recorded. The affected area is dealing with the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which the report says there is no approved vaccine or treatment, and the disease spread for weeks before an official declaration on May 15. By July 21, WHO figures cited by Al Jazeera showed more than 2,500 cases and 1,000 deaths in DRC, with Uganda also reporting limited cases and deaths.

The story describes accounts from two Rwampara health workers. Paluku Audrey, a community engagement officer, said she travels into sceptical neighbourhoods to explain Ebola risks and prevention, sometimes without transport money because she has not been paid since May. She described threats, stone-throwing and fear of infection. Ghislain Maneba, an epidemiologist, said he helps identify and move suspected cases for testing and treatment while worrying about the danger to himself and the family that depends on him.

The outbreak matters because eastern DRC’s conflict, weak disease surveillance and distrust of authorities can undermine case tracing and treatment. Al Jazeera reported that more than 100 health workers have been infected and about 35 have died, underscoring the pressure on the front-line workforce.