At dawn on Monday, armed men stormed Wanamahika Hospital in Butembo, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and violently seized a six‑year‑old Ebola patient and her mother. The men, described as “very angry” and armed with knives, took the child from care, although it is unclear whether they knew her personally.
According to local health official Dr. Lubambo Maboko Gaston, the abduction ignited fear and deepened mistrust toward Ebola treatment centres, where communities have historically hesitated to seek care. In an interview with Reuters, Dr. Maboko urged the child and mother to immediately go to a nearby health centre, warning that staying away could worsen their health and risk further infection of family members.
The incident follows a series of attacks on Ebola facilities during this outbreak, which has already confirmed 840 cases and caused almost 200 deaths. Last month police in Mongbwalu fired warning shots after angry crowds attempted to reclaim the bodies of deceased Ebola patients, while crowds in Rwampara set fire to isolation tents after being denied the body of a man believed to have died from the virus.
Officials say that a lack of community trust and misinformation—many villagers believing Ebola is fabricated by outsiders—further fuels these violent reactions. Local politician Luc Malembe Malembe cautioned that “Ebola is an invention by outsiders” in some areas, a perception that can result in tragic violence.
The outbreak is concentrated in the provinces of Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu, where the abducted child was taken from the hospital. Ituri remains the main centre of transmission, while the M23 rebel group’s control over large parts of North and South Kivu hinders efforts to fully stop the spread.
For more context, read The WHO warns that conflict in eastern DR Congo makes it harder to tackle the Ebola outbreak and explore related stories on What is Ebola and why is stopping the latest outbreak so difficult?.
