WHO ambulance attacked in Bunia as Ebola deaths mount in Congo
A WHO ambulance was attacked in Bunia, DRC, as the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak spreads. The WHO is shifting to community-led response.
A World Health Organization (WHO) ambulance was attacked in Bunia, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, as the country grapples with the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history. The attack occurred on the eve of a press briefing held on August 18, where Dr. Thierno Baldé, the WHO's incident manager for the Bundibugyo virus disease in the DRC, confirmed the incident.
Speaking via video link from the outbreak's epicenter, Baldé said the attack was not an isolated event. "We are really, very regularly challenged by this situation, by these attacks on healthcare services," he told journalists in Geneva. He noted that responders face hostility from communities almost daily, describing the difficult circumstances of people watching relatives fall sick and die.
The outbreak, which spans six provinces in eastern Congo, has already infected nearly 5,000 people and resulted in 2,325 deaths, according to government data released overnight into Monday. If the death toll surpasses the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people, it would become the deadliest Ebola epidemic on record.
In response, the WHO is recentering its strategy around community engagement. Baldé highlighted plans to work with motorbike associations, who often transport patients and bodies, integrating them into surveillance and response efforts. The goal is to enable these drivers to alert health teams when they carry a sick person, ensuring prompt testing and dignified care.
The WHO is also deploying 100 additional expert epidemiologists to the field, supported by more than 500 community health workers who will conduct contact tracing and identify cases. Baldé stressed the importance of safe and dignified burials, which involves equipping local handlers with chlorine and gloves.
Despite the challenges, Baldé pointed to progress in areas like Nizi, where community deaths have dropped significantly in recent weeks, with burials now being conducted safely and on time.