Health workers leading the response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike over months of unpaid salaries, as the World Health Organization (WHO) warns the epidemic could be up to four times larger than official figures suggest.
Gatekeepers News reports that the latest official data released on Tuesday shows that more than 700 people have died from Ebola, with nearly 2,000 confirmed infections since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
However, the WHO believes the actual number of infections could be significantly higher.
According to the UN health agency, modelling indicates the outbreak may be “at least two to four times the number of cases that we have found,” suggesting many infections remain undetected.
At the Ebola treatment centre in Rwampara, one of the hardest-hit locations in Ituri Province, frustrated health workers staged a protest on Monday by burning tyres and temporarily blocking access to the facility.
“We’ve been treating Ebola patients without pay since May 15. We continue to do so because that is our oath, but we are working in very difficult conditions,” said doctor Pascal Bahoya.
The medical workers warned that unless their salaries and allowances are paid within their “48-hour ultimatum for salaries and bonuses,” they will begin a “full-scale strike” without maintaining minimum services.
During a recent visit to Ituri, Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba acknowledged the payment delays and assured workers that the administrative issues responsible for the problem would be resolved.
The Ebola response has placed enormous pressure on frontline medical personnel. According to the National Public Health Institute (INSP), at least 112 healthcare workers have contracted the virus, while 35 have died.
WHO Raises Alarm
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The disease spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause severe bleeding and organ failure.
The outbreak has spread beyond its epicentre in Ituri to four additional eastern provinces—North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Haut-Uele.
Eastern DRC continues to grapple with decades of armed conflict, forcing thousands of people into overcrowded displacement camps with limited access to clean water and sanitation, conditions that complicate efforts to contain the virus.
Neighbouring Uganda has also reported 20 Ebola cases, including two deaths, raising concerns about cross-border transmission.
As of July 12, health authorities reported that 727 patients were receiving treatment at Ebola treatment centres across affected areas, while clinical trials involving two experimental treatments are ongoing.
Although humanitarian workers have long warned that the official figures underestimate the scale of the outbreak, WHO Emergencies Director Chikwe Ihekweazu said new modelling reinforces those concerns.
“The scale of the outbreak is at least two to four times the number of cases that we have found,” he said.
The international community has so far mobilised $1.5 billion to support the Ebola response in the DRC, where the healthcare system remains severely underfunded despite the growing humanitarian crisis.
