UN and WHO Condemn Killing of Nurse Responding to Ebola Alert in DR Congo, Where Outbreak Has Killed 4,727
A nurse was killed by protesters in Bafwasende, a rural town in Tshopo province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Saturday while responding to an Ebola alert, UN News reported on October 27. A health worker was also severely injured in the attack and remains in hospital. Julien Harneis, the UN Senior Ebola Response Coordinator, extended condolences to the nurse's family and colleagues, saying: 'I strongly condemn this attack and call for a thorough investigation. I urge communities to protect health workers and allow them to carry out their work safely.'
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed condolences in a social media post and wished the injured health worker a swift recovery, writing: 'Everyone working to protect communities from this deadly disease must be able to work in dignity and safety. Healthcare must always be protected.'
The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine. More than 9,760 cases and some 4,727 deaths have been recorded in the DRC since the outbreak was declared on May 15, 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. Uganda's smaller outbreak was declared defeated in August, while France, Kenya and Nigeria have also reported cases. Nigeria confirmed its first case last week, a woman who had travelled from Uganda; WHO said she and her husband, a contact, both Swiss citizens, were medically evacuated to Switzerland on Monday morning, that the patient is clinically stable, and that Nigeria will continue to monitor 52 contacts. WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Mohamed Janabi praised the Nigerian team's management of the case while noting that 'vigilance remains critical.'
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 埃博拉治疗单元内景（资料图）。CDC Global 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Inside an Ebola treatment unit (file photo). Photo by CDC Global, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
