Search for Six-Year-Old Ebola Patient After Hospital Attack
Authorities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are actively searching for a six-year-old Ebola patient and her mother following an incident where armed men stormed the hospital where they were receiving treatment.
The child was forcibly taken from Wanamahika Hospital, located in the city of Butembo, by "very angry" men armed with knives, according to a statement from local health official Dr Lubambo Maboko Gaston.
It remains unclear whether the men had any prior relationship with the child, but widespread suspicion and fear regarding Ebola treatment centres have been prevalent during the current outbreak.
In an interview with the news agency, Dr Gaston appealed to the child and her mother to return to a health facility, warning that they risked "worsening their health" and "infecting their relatives" if they remained absent.
Attacks on Ebola Treatment Facilities Amid Ongoing Outbreak
Ebola treatment centres have faced multiple attacks during the ongoing outbreak, which has resulted in nearly 200 deaths and 840 confirmed cases.
Last month, police in Mongbwalu fired shots into the air to disperse angry crowds attempting to reclaim the bodies of relatives who had died at a health facility.
Days earlier, in Rwampara—a town approximately 85km (53 miles) southeast of Mongbwalu—crowds set fire to isolation tents at a hospital after being prevented from retrieving the body of a man suspected to have died from Ebola.
The body of a deceased Ebola victim is highly infectious and can contribute to further virus transmission during burial preparations.
Community Mistrust and Misinformation
Local politician Luc Malembe highlighted the challenges posed by misinformation and mistrust among the population, especially in remote areas.
"People are not properly informed or sensitised about what is happening. For a certain segment of the population, especially in remote areas, Ebola is an invention by outsiders - it does not exist," Malembe told the BBC last month.
"They believe it is the NGOs and hospitals creating this to make money, and this is tragic."
Outbreak Driven by Rare Ebola Species Without Vaccine
The surge in Ebola cases has been attributed to a rare species of the virus known as Bundibugyo. Currently, there is no vaccine available for this strain, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has indicated that it may take months before a vaccine is developed.
Potential for Largest Ebola Outbreak Recorded
The head of Africa's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Jean Kaseya, stated on Tuesday that the current Ebola outbreak could become one of the largest ever recorded. This echoed a similar warning issued earlier in the month by the US CDC.
"If we don't stop the outbreak very soon it will be worse than what we had in West Africa and eastern DRC," Kaseya said during a meeting with African heads of state and donors. He was referring to the West African outbreak that resulted in over 11,000 deaths in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone about a decade ago, as well as a less severe surge in DR Congo in 2018.
Kaseya told that many individuals who have come into contact with infected persons are still not being traced, a critical measure for controlling the outbreak.
"We have an outbreak in an urban area where there is insecurity, where there is this mining and trade activity, and also where we are not reaching all the people who must be in the contact list," he explained.
"If we don't reach these people, we cannot say that we can win with this outbreak."
Government and International Response
The Congolese health ministry has intensified surveillance, contact tracing, and treatment efforts, establishing dedicated centres in several affected towns.
The WHO has allocated $3.9 million (£2.9 million) to combat the outbreak, while Africa CDC has announced a budget of $319 million.
Current cases are mainly concentrated in the provinces of Ituri, South Kivu, and North Kivu, where the six-year-old girl was abducted from the hospital on Monday. Ituri remains the primary transmission hotspot.
Conflict Complicates Ebola Response
The WHO has cautioned that ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo is hindering efforts to control the Ebola outbreak. The M23 rebel group controls significant areas in both North and South Kivu provinces.
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