Congo Ebola Deaths Top 500 as Health Workers Threaten Strike During Outbreak

Congo’s Ebola outbreak has passed 500 deaths as frontline health workers threaten to strike over unpaid benefits, low wages and unsafe working conditions.

Authorities reported at least 506 deaths among 1,561 confirmed cases, according to AP and Reuters. The outbreak, declared May 15, is centered in Ituri province and has spread into North Kivu and South Kivu.

The labor threat could weaken an already strained response. Health workers are central to treatment, contact tracing, safe burials and public outreach. Their complaints come as WHO officials have warned that the outbreak is moving faster than response efforts and that threats against medical teams are complicating containment.

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Public reaction has become part of the crisis. AP has reported suspicion, verbal abuse and attacks on aid workers, while another AP report said residents set fire to an Ebola treatment center.

The stakes extend beyond Congo. Reuters reported that the UN warned the outbreak could cost Africa up to $3.6 billion if it spreads more widely.

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