WHO Says 75 Medics Infected, 17 Dead in DR Congo Ebola Outbreak
Last update: June 19, 2026
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The toll on healthcare workers in DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak is growing. The WHO says 75 medics have been infected and 17 have died, as protective gear runs short.
It is a heavy blow for DR Congo’s already stretched health system, cbinews.tv reports.
A senior World Health Organization official revealed on Friday that 75 medics in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been infected with Ebola since the current outbreak began, and 17 of them have died.
The outbreak was only officially declared by Congolese officials on 15 May, but Ebola was likely circulating for months before that. That means many healthcare workers were exposed to the virus without realising it was even there.
And the challenges are not over. Health officials say basic protective gear like gloves and masks is still in short supply.
“It is a really high price that the system, the healthcare system, is paying, because we do not have enough of healthcare workers in DRC,” Marie Roseline Belizaire, a WHO emergency director, told a press conference by video link from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Congo already has one of the lowest ratios of healthcare workers to population. WHO data shows there are only about 11 health workers per 10,000 people.
Belizaire added that China and Uganda are sending medical teams to help on the ground.
The WHO is also providing psychological support to some medics who are too scared to treat patients after watching so many of their colleagues fall ill.
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