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Congo Ebola Workers Strike Over Unpaid Bonuses
25 Jul
Summary
- Ebola treatment center staff in eastern Congo are on strike.
- Workers demand two months of unpaid performance bonuses.
- The outbreak has infected over 100 healthcare workers.
Health workers at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia, Congo, initiated a strike on Saturday, July 25, 2026, protesting two months of unpaid performance bonuses. This walkout significantly paralyzes activities at the center, impacting care for patients within the epicenter of a rapidly escalating Ebola outbreak. The strike follows a similar action last week by staff at Bunia General Hospital, who were also protesting unpaid salaries.
The current Ebola outbreak in the Central African nation, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has reached 2,973 confirmed cases with 1,309 deaths as of Friday, July 24, 2026. Ituri province accounts for nearly 90% of these cases. The outbreak's rapid spread is hampered by challenges including the identification of patient zero, displacement due to armed conflict, funding gaps, attacks on health centers, and community mistrust.
Further complicating response efforts is the lack of approved vaccines or treatments specifically for the Bundibugyo virus, unlike the more common Zaire virus. Despite these obstacles, enrollment in a study for two potential Ebola treatments has recently begun in Ituri. The World Health Organization assesses the global risk of the outbreak spreading outside Central Africa as low, emphasizing Ebola's transmission method through direct contact with bodily fluids.
