Why are Ebola workers being attacked?
About 200 health facilities have been attacked in DR Congo this year, forcing health workers to suspend or delay vaccinations and treatments. Reuters quotes Lt Col Kumbu as saying a total of 54 people are currently under arrest in connection with attacks on Ebola treatment centres. In February, medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) put its activities on hold in Butembo and Katwa - two eastern cities in the outbreak's epicentre. In North Kivu, community-based militia groups called Mai-Mai have been behind some of the attacks against health centres and workers. Another militia group, the Allied Defence Forces (Ugandan rebels operating within DR Congo) have also been accused of causing widespread disruption to medical units. There have also been a series of attacks by other unidentified groups on Ebola response centres. In one incident, family members assaulted health workers who were overseeing the burial of their relative in May. A 2018 study published in the Lancet medical journal says "belief in misinformation was widespread" concerning the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu. One in four respondents believed in the statement that Ebola does not exist, with an even higher proportion saying the Ebola outbreak was fabricated for financial gain, or to destabilise the region. "There's already been civil unrest in the region and that's exacerbated when a foreign response comes into an area that's heavily guarded," says Lara Salahi, an author who has written about responses to Ebola outbreaks.DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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