Nurse killed responding to Ebola alert in DR Congo's Bafwasende
A nurse was killed and a second health worker badly hurt when protesters attacked an Ebola response team in Tshopo province, as Congo battles the deadliest Ebola outbreak in its history with almost 9,800 cases.
At a glance
- A nurse was killed and another health worker severely injured by protesters on Saturday, October 24, 2026, in Bafwasende, a rural town in Tshopo province, while responding to an Ebola alert.
- WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the UN's Ebola coordinator Julien Harneis condemned the attack and called for a full investigation.
- Congo's outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, has passed 9,800 cases and 4,700 deaths since May — the deadliest in the country's history.
- Attacks, threats against burial teams and claims that Ebola is a hoax have repeatedly slowed the response.
- Local authorities have not named suspects; the injured health worker remains in hospital.
A nurse was killed and another health worker was severely injured on Saturday, October 24, 2026, when protesters attacked an Ebola response team in Bafwasende, a rural town in Tshopo province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The team had gone out to respond to an Ebola alert. The killing is the latest in a series of attacks on health workers that officials say is slowing efforts to stop the deadliest Ebola outbreak in Congo's history.
What happened
The two health workers were part of a team checking a suspected Ebola case when they were attacked. The nurse died and the second worker, who has not been named, is being treated in hospital with serious injuries. Local authorities had not commented on the attack or identified any suspects by Monday.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, October 24, 2026 |
| Place | Bafwasende, Tshopo province, north-eastern DR Congo |
| Victims | One nurse killed, one health worker severely injured |
| Attackers | Protesters, not yet identified |
| Outbreak cases (since May) | More than 9,800 |
| Outbreak deaths | More than 4,700 |
| Virus strain | Bundibugyo (no approved vaccine) |
| Provinces affected | Eight |
The outbreak in numbers
Congo declared the outbreak on May 15, 2026. It is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus, for which no vaccine has been approved — unlike the Zaire strain behind earlier outbreaks, where an effective vaccine exists. Recent WHO data put the total at about 9,760 cases and 4,727 deaths in Congo, while the health ministry's latest count is above 9,800 cases.
The virus has spread to eight provinces: Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Sud-Ubangi, Nord-Ubangi and Tshopo. Neighbouring Uganda had a smaller outbreak that was declared over in August, and cases linked to travel have been reported in Kenya, Nigeria and France. A trial of a new candidate vaccine began in Bunia, in Ituri province, on October 24.
A pattern of attacks
Responders have faced hostility since the start of the outbreak. In May, angry residents set fire to tents at two health centres within a week. Members of response teams have been held captive in some health zones, and teams carrying out safe burials — a key way to stop the virus spreading from the bodies of victims — have been threatened. Last month a local politician in North Kivu was beaten to death after he backed the government's Ebola measures on a radio programme.
Health officials say many residents dismiss Ebola as a hoax, and distrust of the authorities runs deep after past outbreaks and years of conflict and corruption in the east. A village-based approach launched by the authorities has met resistance in some areas, while remote hotspots already lack medical supplies and staff.
Reactions
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus offered condolences to the nurse's family, wished the injured worker a full recovery and said everyone working to protect communities from the disease must be able to work "in dignity and safety". WHO's Africa director, Dr Mohamed Janabi, said misinformation and fear must never fuel violence.
Julien Harneis, the UN's senior Ebola response coordinator in Congo, strongly condemned the attack, called for a thorough investigation and urged communities to protect the health workers trying to keep them safe.
Why it matters
Every attack forces teams to pause work, withdraw from areas or travel with security, which gives the virus more time to spread unnoticed. With no approved vaccine for this strain, finding cases early, isolating patients, tracing contacts and safe burials are the main tools available — and all depend on health workers being able to reach villages.
The outbreak is also a regional risk. Congo borders nine countries, and cases have already travelled as far as Nigeria and Kenya. Health authorities across Africa, the Gulf and South Asia, including Pakistan's airport health teams, are screening travellers arriving from affected areas.
What happens next
The WHO and the UN have asked Congolese authorities to investigate the attack and bring those responsible to justice. Response teams in Tshopo are expected to review their security arrangements, while community leaders are being asked to help counter rumours about the disease. Results from the new vaccine trial in Ituri will take weeks to months.
Questions people are asking
What happened to the Ebola health workers in Bafwasende?
On October 24, 2026, protesters attacked an Ebola response team in Bafwasende, Tshopo province, killing a nurse and severely injuring another health worker who is still in hospital. The team had gone to respond to a suspected Ebola case.
How many people have died in the 2026 Congo Ebola outbreak?
Congo's health ministry has recorded more than 9,800 cases and more than 4,700 deaths since the outbreak was declared in May 2026, making it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country's history.
Is there a vaccine for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain?
No vaccine is approved for the Bundibugyo strain behind this outbreak. A trial of a candidate vaccine began in Bunia, Ituri province, in late October 2026.
