Ebola response workers in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo staged protests outside three treatment centers on Thursday, saying they had not received the wages owed to them since the country’s latest outbreak began.
The demonstrations took place in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, the region hardest hit by the outbreak, which has infected 1,759 people and caused 600 confirmed deaths since it was declared nearly two months ago, according to the latest government figures.
FILE PHOTO: Caskets on the ground outside the Rwampara General Hospital during a go-slow by healthcare workers involved in the Ebola response over unpaid salaries, as authorities seek to contain a new outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, in Rwampara, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/File Photo
Protests held outside treatment centers
Dozens of members of Ebola response teams gathered outside the Centre Medical Evangelique (CME), Elikya and Salama treatment centers to demand payment for their work.
Police dispersed one of the protests outside the CME facility.
It was not immediately clear whether the demonstrations affected operations at the treatment centers.
The World Health Organization said this week that transmission of the rare Ebola strain is continuing. The virus kills between 30% and 50% of those infected and currently has no vaccine or cure.
Healthcare workers involved in the Ebola response gather at Rwampara General Hospital during a go-slow over unpaid salaries, as authorities seek to contain a new outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, in Rwampara, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere
Government acknowledges payment problems
Speaking to journalists in Bunia, Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba acknowledged difficulties in managing payments for frontline workers.
He said problems existed within the “human resources pillar of the response,” particularly in ensuring that payment lists remained accurate and up to date.
An official from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said the organization was working with Congolese authorities to accelerate payments, stressing that timely salaries are essential for maintaining staff morale.
Africa CDC official Wessam Mankoula said the agency had provided about $2 million to support Congo’s Ebola response, with part of the funding available to help cover delayed payments to health workers.
A Congolese health official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said discussions were ongoing with workers who had threatened to strike, but confirmed that no strike action had yet begun.
Workers cite unpaid salaries and difficult conditions
In a letter dated July 5 and addressed to Ituri’s governor and health authorities, Ebola response workers said they had not been paid for services provided since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
The workers said the delays had caused significant financial hardship and seriously affected their living conditions.
They also argued that current compensation does not reflect the risks and workload associated with responding to the outbreak.
Among their demands were higher daily allowances and the removal of income tax deductions, saying the payments should be treated as bonuses rather than salaries.
The protests come as health authorities continue efforts to contain the outbreak in Ituri Province, where frontline medical teams remain central to the response.
Officials are now seeking to resolve the payment dispute while maintaining operations to combat a disease that continues to spread in the region.
