Health

Ebola in DR Congo: UN and WHO condemn killing of a nurse responding to an alert in Tshopo

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Editor's note: This updates TrendDesh's 24 October report on the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo with the latest WHO figures and the attack on health workers in Tshopo.

The UN’s Ebola coordinator and the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) have condemned the killing of a nurse working to stop Ebola in DR Congo, after protesters attacked health staff in Bafwasende, a rural town in Tshopo province, on Saturday, 24 October 2026, UN News reported on 26 October.

Ebola in DR Congo: Health workers disinfect a vehicle during the Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo
Health workers disinfect a vehicle during the Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo Photo: © WHO/Josua Mulala Raymond via UN News (editorial use with credit).

How the nurse fighting Ebola in DR Congo was killed

The nurse was killed while responding to an Ebola alert, and another health worker was severely injured and remains in hospital, according to UN News. Julien Harneis, the UN Senior Ebola Response Coordinator, who leads the UN system’s response to the outbreak in the country, sent condolences to the nurse’s family and colleagues. “I strongly condemn this attack and call for a thorough investigation,” he said. “I urge communities to protect health workers and allow them to carry out their work safely.” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also expressed condolences and wished the injured worker a full recovery. “Everyone working to protect communities from this deadly disease must be able to work in dignity and safety. Healthcare must always be protected,” he wrote on X.

Key Facts

  • Attack: nurse killed in Bafwasende, Tshopo, 24 Oct
  • Cases since 15 May: 9,760+; deaths: about 4,727 (WHO)
  • Virus: Bundibugyo, no approved vaccine
  • Provinces affected: eight
  • Nigeria: patient evacuated to Switzerland; 52 contacts monitored

“Healthcare must always be protected.”

— Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General

Bundibugyo virus outbreak reaches eight provinces

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine, UN News said. More than 9,760 cases and some 4,727 deaths have been recorded in the country since the outbreak was declared on 15 May, according to recent WHO figures, making it the deadliest in the country’s history. First reported in the volatile east, it has reached eight provinces: Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Sud Ubangi, Tshopo and Nord-Ubangi. Uganda had a smaller outbreak that was declared over in August, while France, Kenya and Nigeria have reported cases.

Nigeria patient flown to Switzerland

Nigeria confirmed its first case last week, a woman who had travelled from Uganda. She and her husband, a contact, were medically evacuated to Switzerland on Monday morning, WHO said, adding that both are Swiss citizens and that the patient is clinically stable. “The Nigerian medical team successfully managed her through the acute phase of the illness and stabilized her condition,” WHO Africa Regional Director Dr Mohamed Janabi wrote on X, calling it “a remarkable achievement”. He said the evacuation means Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases, though “vigilance remains critical”, and that the country will keep monitoring 52 contacts while Switzerland takes over care of the patient and follow-up of her husband. Tshopo, where the nurse was killed, is one of the eight affected provinces. UN News did not report any arrests in connection with the attack.

Why It Matters: Attacks on health workers slow down tracing and isolation of cases, which can let an outbreak with no approved vaccine spread further.

Also on TrendDesh: Ebola in DR Congo: cases reach 9,765 as WHO warns the virus could resurge · Ebola in Nigeria: WHO steps in after first Bundibugyo case confirmed in Abuja

Source: UN News, 26 Oct 2026 · WHO Disease Outbreak News

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