An Ebola patient receiving medical treatment in the Democratic Republic of Congo.Image: keystone
June 19, 2026, 2:57 p.mJune 19, 2026, 2:57 p.m
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 75 nurses were infected with the dangerous virus in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. 17 of them died, Marie-Roseline Belizaire, who is in Bunia for the WHO, told reporters in Geneva.
It is not clear in all cases whether they were infected at work or in their private environment, she said. The WHO is working hard to supply small clinics with materials such as gloves and protective clothing and to train staff to prevent infections. Of the 177 clinics examined, only four initially had the capacity and material to properly protect all employees.
One challenge is that in this outbreak only ten percent of those infected had the symptoms typical of Ebola, especially bleeding. As a result, many people stayed at home for too long, believing that they had malaria, instead of going to specialized Ebola treatment centers. This increases the risk of infections within the family and in small clinics, said Belizaire.
In total, she named 896 confirmed infections, including 232 deaths. “One month after the outbreak was declared, the situation remains serious and constantly evolving,” she said. (sda/dpa)