Attacks on Ebola centres intensify in eastern DR Congo

Attacks on Ebola centres are intensifying in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the World Health Organization warns the outbreak could worsen in the DRC and Uganda. On Thursday, the Rwampara health centre was stormed by a group of angry residents demanding the bodies of relatives who had died from Ebola, according to local sources. A day later, a tent provided by Doctors Without Borders, also known by its acronym MSF, at a hospital in Mongbwalu in Ituri province was set on fire.

The NGO Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) said that "Following the death of a patient showing symptoms of Ebola virus disease in one of the tents, healthcare staff isolated the body in line with strict health protocols." Gloire Idriss, a resident of Rwampara said, "Some people here believe that Ebola is a business." As of Saturday, nearly 180 people had died from the disease and close to 800 cases had been recorded, according to the Congolese Ministry of Public Health.

Rodriguez Kisando, a doctor specializing in health and the environment, warned that attacks on treatment centres along with patients fleeing before completing care could speed up the spread of the disease. He said, "As long as there are scenes of violence and sick people escape from Ebola treatment centres before they are cured, the disease will continue spreading. This is extremely serious."