DR Congo: Six-Year-Old Ebola Patient Abducted From Butembo Hospital by Armed Men
A six-year-old Ebola patient and her mother have been abducted by armed individuals from a hospital in Butembo, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Local health official Dr Lubambo Maboko Gaston reported that “very angry” men, armed with knives, forcibly removed the child from Wanamahika Hospital.
This abduction highlights the ongoing suspicion and fear surrounding Ebola treatment facilities in the region. Dr Gaston has urged the mother and child to seek medical attention at a health centre, warning of the risk to their own health and to their relatives.
Ebola treatment centres have faced numerous attacks throughout the current outbreak, which has registered approximately 840 cases and almost 200 fatalities. Incidents include police firing warning shots last month in Mongbwalu as crowds attempted to reclaim bodies of deceased loved ones, and the burning of isolation tents in Rwampara after locals were prevented from taking the body of a suspected Ebola victim for burial. The highly infectious nature of an Ebola victim's body presents a significant risk for virus transmission during traditional burial preparations.
Local politician Luc Malembe Malembe noted last month that segments of the population, particularly in remote areas, perceive Ebola as an “invention by outsiders” and believe that “NGOs and hospitals creating this to make money.”
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which no vaccine is yet available. Cases are concentrated in the provinces of Ituri, South Kivu, and North Kivu, with Ituri being the primary transmission hub. The World Health Organisation has indicated that conflict in eastern DR Congo, including the presence of the M23 rebel group controlling significant parts of North and South Kivu, is severely hindering efforts to control the outbreak.
