Ebola patients flee in attacks on Congo health facilities, hobbling response
Attacks on health facilities in Congo are hindering the response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak. Patients have fled from hospitals amid violence, reminiscent of previous outbreaks. The World Health Organization has declared the situation a public health emergency, with over 900 suspected cases reported.
- ▪At least three attacks on health facilities have occurred in Ituri province, leading to patients fleeing.
- ▪The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
- ▪There have been more than 900 suspected cases and 101 confirmed cases of Ebola in the current outbreak.
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Ebola patients flee in attacks on Congo health facilities, hobbling responseSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxPublished May 25, 2026, 09:54 PMUpdated May 25, 2026, 09:54 PMBUNIA, May 25 - Doctors operating on the front lines of the fight against Ebola in Congo, already grappling with shortages of basic supplies, are now also having to deal with attacks on their facilities and fleeing patients as the virus spreads rapidly.At least three such incidents have occurred in the northeastern province of Ituri where the first Ebola cases were reported, including two at the weekend targeting the same hospital that permitted more than two dozen patients to run away.The attacks recall the widespread violence targeting health facilities during a 2018-2020 outbreak in eastern…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.