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Ebola Outbreak Crisis: Healthcare Workers Strike Amidst Rising Cases
15 Jul
Summary
- Ebola cases surpass 2,000 with over 750 deaths recorded.
- Healthcare workers are striking over unpaid wages and poor conditions.
- A new clinical trial for an Ebola prevention drug has commenced.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, confirmed Ebola cases have climbed to 2,011, with 754 reported fatalities. A significant complication has arisen as healthcare workers at Bunia General Hospital in Ituri province began a strike on Wednesday. They cite months of unpaid wages and inadequate working conditions as the reasons for their action, protesting at the hospital's entrance.
This strike follows similar walkouts by medical personnel at Rwampara General Hospital. Doctors Without Borders has identified the current outbreak as the third largest and fastest-growing on record. The World Health Organization has cautioned that the official death toll could be two to four times higher than recorded figures. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain with no existing vaccine or treatment, saw its first clinical trial for a potential preventative antiviral drug launch on Tuesday.
