Written by: Badr Ahmed

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are facing increasing challenges in containing the Ebola outbreak, with renewed violence against medical response teams and rising numbers of infections and deaths, amid fears that the disease could spread to new areas.

Attacks renewed on teams burying Ebola victims

In South Kivu province, in the east of the country, an attack targeted a team specializing in safe and dignified burials of Ebola victims, while they were carrying out their duties in the town of Katana, located about 30 kilometers north of the city of Bukavu.

According to the Congolese Ministry of Health and local officials, the attack led to members of the local community interfering in the handling of the body of one of the victims, which poses a significant risk given the ability of infected bodies to transmit the infection.

The incident reflects a continuing crisis of confidence between local residents and health authorities, as some residents reject the medical protocols for burying victims, considering them to be in conflict with local customs and traditions.

At least four attacks have also targeted health centers and medical personnel in recent times.

Congolese authorities are trying to contain the spread of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, while the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned of the dangers of direct contact with the bodies of victims.

Residents were urged to adhere to safe burial procedures to prevent transmission of the infection and protect local communities.

The latest data from the Ministry of Health showed 363 confirmed cases of the virus and 62 deaths since the current outbreak was announced on May 15, the seventeenth outbreak of the disease in the country.

Authorities also recorded 19 new cases in recent hours, including two deaths, while the infection spread to 17 health districts in Ituri province and several areas in North and South Kivu.

In a related development, the Kenyan government's decision to allow the United States to establish a quarantine facility specifically for Ebola has sparked widespread controversy within the country.

The Kenyan president stressed that the decision represents a necessary humanitarian step, despite popular protests and court orders that demanded the project be temporarily halted.

This move comes amid regional concerns about the spread of the infection beyond Congo's borders, especially after cases were recorded in neighboring Uganda.