When hospitals become vectors
Ebola outbreak in DRC, 2026 summer
It has spread to five provinces in Congo and may soon reach South Sudan
Without the correct equipment, hospitals and clinics can become vectors for transmission, deterring would-be patients. Many clinics have been forced to close in order to disinfect and some have not re-opened. Health workers such as Mr Bulabantu are at high risk of catching the virus themselves. Across eastern Congo dozens of front-line health workers have fallen ill and 25 have died of the disease, says the WHO. "We're very scared," says Mr Bulabantu. He is also barely paid. His meagre monthly salary of about $80 has not been handed out for months; he is surviving on an Ebola-related bonus of $70.
The Economist | July 18th, 2026
