Congo Ebola health workers strike over delayed pay as death toll nears 600

Bunia (Congo): Healthcare workers at the epicentre of Congo's Ebola outbreak have stopped work over delayed wages, threatening efforts to slow the outbreak that officials said continues to spread faster than the response.

In Ituri province, the hardest hit among the three provinces in eastern Congo affected by the outbreak, some health professionals and other front-line workers told The Associated Press they have not been paid their wages and bonuses since the outbreak was declared on May 15.

They also alleged they were working with limited gear and were being treated unfairly by authorities as well as response teams.

Government data shows 1,708 recorded cases, including 580 deaths, with health authorities saying the first month of the outbreak was the worst on record.

The strike comes at the start of enrollment for clinical trials for the treatment of the Bundibugyo virus that is responsible for this outbreak.

The World Health Organisation representative in Congo, Dr Anne Ancia, said Tuesday the virus continues to spread, fuelled by population movements and insecurity, while some treatment centres are at near-full capacity.

Some front-line workers have already stopped working after warning authorities over delayed payments.

The aggrieved front-line workers also include safety and security teams, those that often embark on community outreach as well as those burying patients who died from Ebola.

Congo's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the situation. Officials in Ituri, however, said they had met with the workers and their concerns were being addressed.

Some workers protested outside the Rwampara Ebola treatment centre on Monday, briefly causing panic before police restored order.

Health workers face other challenges as well, including attacks from angry residents and skepticism about the virus.

Dr Ben Bakule, a community investigator, said he narrowly escaped death in late May when a group of angry young men attacked him and his colleagues while they were tracing contacts of a confirmed Ebola case in the village of Tutu, in Djugu territory.

"We might have to give up our jobs. These are risks we're taking. We risk dying for nothing," Bakule said.

Meanwhile, the strike by some workers has caused concern among residents in Ituri, where measures to slow the outbreak have resulted in economic hardship.

Bunia resident Anifa Kito said she fears that response efforts may falter, further complicating daily life. "I would ask the authorities to resolve this situation before things get any worse," she said, standing in front of her tomato stall.