Ituri Ebola Workers Strike Amid 1,729 Cases as Unpaid Wages and Gear Shortages Disrupt Response
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 9
Ituri Ebola Workers Strike Amid 1,729 Cases as Unpaid Wages and Gear Shortages Disrupt Response
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 9
Summary
Ituri health and security workers are walking off the job at clinics and treatment centers, disrupting the Ebola response in the outbreak’s epicenter.
Workers say they have gone unpaid since the outbreak was declared on May 15 and lack adequate protective equipment; local officials blame delayed funding partly on Bunia airport’s closure.
1,729 Ebola cases and 582 deaths have been recorded in the DRC and Uganda, and residents fear the absences will accelerate transmission in an already chaotic region.
At the CDC, acting Director Jay Bhattacharya said the Level 1 Ebola response will last months and require more personnel, even as the agency has made only 38 hires this fiscal year.
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Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak 2026: Over 1,460 Cases, Health Worker Crisis, and Regional Spread in DRC and Uganda
Overview
The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is rapidly escalating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 1,460 confirmed cases and 452 deaths as of July 1, 2026. The disease has spread across 36 health zones, making containment difficult, especially since patient zero remains unidentified and tracing thousands of contacts is a major challenge. Overcrowded camps and community resistance to testing further fuel the crisis. Health workers are under immense pressure, facing high infection and death rates, which has led to threats of strikes. These factors together highlight the severe public health emergency and the urgent need for coordinated response efforts.