Healthcare workers at the epicenter of Congo’s Ebola outbreak are walking off their jobs to protest delays in their payments, threatening efforts to slow the outbreak as the death toll nears 600. Officials warn that the virus continues to spread faster than the response teams can manage.
In Ituri province, the hardest hit among the three provinces in eastern Congo affected by the outbreak, front-line workers—including safety teams, community outreach staff, and those burying deceased patients—say they have not been paid their wages and bonuses since the outbreak was declared on May 15. They also allege they are working with limited gear and are being treated unfairly by authorities and response teams.
“Since the Ebola virus disease outbreak was declared, we’ve been demanding payment for our work,” said Dr. Biensi Kano, a member of the epidemiological surveillance committee in Ituri’s capital, Bunia. He added that the non-payment of benefits “exposes us and our families to significant socio-economic difficulties and seriously undermines our living conditions.”
The strike action comes at a critical moment. Dr. Anne Ancia, the World Health Organization representative in Congo, stated on Tuesday that the virus continues to spread, fueled by population movements and insecurity, while some treatment centers are at near-full capacity.
Over the weekend, front-line workers in Ituri issued an official notice to national and provincial authorities, threatening to strike if their wages were not paid within 24 hours. By Tuesday, some had already stopped working, though no official strike had been declared. On Monday, some workers organized a protest outside the Rwampara Ebola treatment center, setting tires alight and causing a brief panic before police intervened to restore order.
Congo’s government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, officials in Ituri said they have met with the workers to address their concerns. Akilimali Pierre, incident manager at Congo’s National Institute of Public Health, explained that the closure of Bunia airport is hampering the response, “particularly certain aspects of the flow of funds. This is one of the reasons that may account for the delay in payment.”
In addition to financial issues, health workers face physical dangers, including skepticism and attacks from residents. Dr. Ben Bakule, a community investigator, recounted narrowly escaping death in late May when angry young men attacked him and his colleagues while they were tracing contacts of a confirmed Ebola case in the village of Tutu, in Djugu territory.
“We spend money on transport to get to work. We thought we’d be rewarded. At the moment, nothing is going right because we’re not being paid. We don’t deserve this sort of treatment,” Bakule told The Associated Press. “We might have to give up our jobs. These are risks we’re taking. We risk dying for nothing. This government wants this epidemic to continue.”
The reality described by workers contrasts with statements from Congo’s Minister of Health, Roger Kamba. During a visit last month to the mining town of Mongbwalu—considered the hot spot for the disease—Kamba assured response teams that their working conditions were a priority. “All doctors, all nurses and all staff working on the response will be fully supported. We have the money for that,” Kamba said at the time.
However, front-line workers say the promises have not materialized. “We are doing everything we can to make the public understand how dangerous this disease is. I came here to save people’s lives, but this is how I am being thanked. We are working day and night without being paid,” said Dr. Ghislain Maneba, an epidemiologist and community investigator in the Rwampara health zone.
Meanwhile, the strike by some workers has caused concern among residents in Ituri, where measures to slow the outbreak have resulted in economic hardship. Bunia resident Anifa Kito, standing in front of her tomato stall, expressed fear that the response efforts might falter and complicate daily life. “I would ask the authorities to resolve this situation before things get any worse,” she said.
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