Attacks on Health Workers Hamper Ebola Response in Congo

More than a dozen assaults on treatment centers and field teams slow efforts to contain the outbreak

Safety fears are limiting the response to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than 12 attacks on health facilities and workers have been recorded, according to PBS NewsHour.

The violence threatens to undercut containment efforts in a country that has battled repeated Ebola flare-ups in recent years, complicating the work of medical teams trying to isolate cases and vaccinate at-risk communities before the virus spreads further.

Many of the attacks have been carried out by angry mobs who have stormed treatment centers or targeted response teams in the field, Pierre Akilimali, incident manager for the Ebola response, said at a press briefing, according to PBS NewsHour.

The assaults add a security crisis on top of a public health one, forcing responders to weigh the risks to their own safety against the urgency of reaching patients and containing transmission. Health officials have not said how the attacks will affect the broader trajectory of the outbreak, but the disruptions come at a critical moment for the response.

— Compiled from reporting by PBS NewsHour.