Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC intensifies as armed men abduct a 6‑year‑old patient and her mother from a hospital.
Authorities in the city of Butembo reported that men wielding knives stormed Wanamahika Hospital and seized a six‑year‑old girl who was in treatment for Ebola, together with her mother. The attackers were described as "very angry" and the incident has raised alarm among health officials and residents alike.
The child’s removal underscores the mistrust that persists in communities affected by the outbreak. Despite ongoing vaccination and treatment efforts, many people fear that Ebola treatment centres are fronts for profiteering by NGOs and governments.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting medical facilities in the region. Police in Mongbwalu fired warning shots after crowds tried to seize bodies of deceased patients, while in Rwampara a crowd set fire to isolation tents after being barred from retrieving a body of a man suspected of Ebola‑related death.
The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has had no licensed vaccine yet; WHO has warned that conflict and limited access to supplies are delaying production. Events such as the armed assault on Wanamahika Hospital may further worsen community fears and hinder containment.
The crisis remains concentrated in the provinces of Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu, with Ituri serving as the main transmission hub. The M23 rebel group controls large areas of both North and South Kivu, making coordinated public health efforts increasingly difficult.
For more context on the current Ebola situation, you can read BBC’s coverage of the outbreak and associated violence here.
