Health Workers Strike Over Pay as Ebola Crisis Escalates

WHO:

CNN - Micheline Kayimpa, a nurse at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

ABC News - Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization (WHO).

ABC News - Anicet Baluku, a resident of Bunia.

CNN - Lancelot Mermet, director of humanitarian programs at Mercy Corps.

ABC News - Dr. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control.

WHAT:

CNN - The Ebola outbreak in the DRC has infected at least 3,874 people and killed 1,751.

ABC News - The outbreak is the second-largest on record, behind the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak.

ABC News - The U.S. Department of State announced an additional $242 million in funding for Ebola response and preparedness efforts.

ABC News - The outbreak has a 45% fatality rate, with 44 out of 77 recent cases reported being fatal.

CNN - Health workers at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Center are threatening to boycott work due to unpaid wages.

WHERE:

CNN - Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, DRC, is the epicenter of the outbreak.

ABC News - The outbreak has been detected in both the DRC and neighboring Uganda.

WHEN:

ABC News - The outbreak was declared on May 15.

ABC News - The WHO chief's visit to Congo occurred during the outbreak, which has been ongoing for nearly three months.

WHY:

CNN - Health workers are protesting delayed wages, which they claim have not been paid since the outbreak began.

ABC News - The outbreak is exacerbated by ongoing rebel conflict in eastern DRC, complicating healthcare access.

HOW:

CNN - Health workers are using protective gear while treating Ebola patients, but face risks from the virus and community hostility.

ABC News - The WHO is calling for urgent scaling up of efforts across all pillars of the response and by all partners.

(UPDATED August 6, 2026 08:20 UTC)

The Ebola outbreak in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo, has now infected at least 3,874 people and resulted in 1,751 deaths, making it the second-largest outbreak on record. Amid this crisis, health workers at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Center are threatening to boycott due to unpaid wages, while the U.S. Department of State has announced an additional $242 million in funding for response and preparedness efforts. The World Health Organization is urging an urgent scaling up of response efforts as the outbreak continues to be complicated by ongoing rebel conflict in the region.