Outrage as nurse is attacked and killed while responding to Ebola alert

A fatal assault on medical workers responding to an Ebola alert in the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has left a nurse dead and another health professional severely wounded, underscoring the severe risks facing frontline responders battling the deadly epidemic.

According to UN-backed Radio Okapi, the healthcare team was ambushed by local youths who accused them of spreading the virus and poisoning municipal water supplies.

The World Health Organization (WHO) swiftly denounced the violence, offering condolences to the victim's family and colleagues while wishing the injured worker a full recovery.

Reacting to the incident, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated that emergency responders "must be able to carry out their duties in safety and dignity," emphasizing that medical teams must be safeguarded at all times.

The outbreak, which began in May, has already claimed more than 4,800 lives and infected nearly 10,000 people across DR Congo. Mistrust and hostility have repeatedly undermined containment efforts.

Just last month, a politician was beaten to death after advocating for Ebola prevention measures, while the Red Cross recorded 11 violent episodes—including the burning of an ambulance and injuries to volunteers—during the first 100 days of the epidemic.

Amid rising fears of cross-border transmission, neighbouring Uganda has suspended all non-essential travel to and from DR Congo. Entry is now restricted to critical personnel, including humanitarian staff, cargo drivers, and security agents, all of whom are subject to rigorous health checks.

Ugandan citizens returning from DR Congo must now complete a mandatory 21-day quarantine at their own expense. Furthermore, all inbound passengers arriving in Uganda are required to submit passenger locator forms to assist contact tracing.

"All these are measures to ensure that we keep Uganda free of Ebola," Ugandan Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi stated, stressing that the country cannot let its guard down as quoted by the BBC.

"We share a border with [DR Congo], where transmission continues, and our communities remain closely connected through trade, travel and family ties," Baryomunsi added.

The heightened vigilance comes after both Kenya and Nigeria registered their first Ebola cases connected to the ongoing crisis. Both infected individuals had recently travelled through Uganda, prompting intense scrutiny over possible transit exposure.

In Nigeria, the patient—a Ugandan-born woman married to a Swiss diplomat—has been medically evacuated from Abuja to Switzerland for advanced care.

Nigerian health officials confirmed she was conscious, communicating, and stable prior to departure. Her husband, who accompanied her, remains asymptomatic, and authorities are continuing to trace her complete travel history to pinpoint where transmission occurred.

In Kenya, a businessman who had travelled to DR Congo died two days after arriving in Nairobi, and a female relative subsequently passed away over the weekend. Kenya's Ministry of Health reported that 20 quarantined contacts have now been safely discharged, while 98 remain under active observation. Seven other confirmed patients are currently hospitalized in stable condition.

Ugandan health officials emphasized that no local cases have been detected inside the country since the WHO declared Uganda free of the disease in August, following an earlier cluster of 20 cases and two fatalities.

Diana Atwine, permanent secretary at Uganda's Ministry of Health, noted that airport CCTV footage confirmed the Nigerian and Kenyan patients had no direct physical interaction despite passing through Entebbe on the same day.

Transmission of the virus occurs primarily through direct contact with an infected person's bodily fluids, such as blood or vomit.