Published Thursday 12 November 2026 · Source: notices and declarations of the striking Ebola response workers, October to 12 November 2026
Key Facts
- What: Nurses, hygienists and supervisors at Ebola treatment and transit centres began an indefinite strike on Thursday 12 November.
- Where: Butembo, Katwa and Musienene, health zones in North Kivu province, eastern DR Congo.
- Demands: Smaller pay gaps between staff groups, the legal minimum wage and signed contracts.
- Not known: How many workers joined, and whether patients were turned away, has not been confirmed.
Frontline Ebola workers in eastern Congo put down their tools on Thursday 12 November. Nurses, hygienists and supervisors at treatment and transit centres in Butembo, Katwa and Musienene began an indefinite strike over pay and contracts.
It matters because these centres isolate and care for Ebola patients, and a stoppage can slow the fight against an outbreak that has killed more than 5,000 people in DR Congo, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Butembo is a trading city in North Kivu province, in the east of the country.
What the Strikers Want
Hygienists disinfect sites and run infection control. Transit centres hold suspected cases while they wait for test results.
The workers list three demands: a fairer gap between the risk bonuses (extra pay for dangerous work) paid to nurses, hygienists and field supervisors, the national minimum wage, and signed contracts. They say they have spent four months in the Ebola response without a signed contract, and that their pay does not follow the scale of Congo’s Health Ministry.
The strikers say they will return to work once their demands are settled. They asked the government and its partners to open talks.
How the Strike Came About
The workers approached the authorities on 13 October with a 14-day deadline, and again in early November, and they also wrote to the mayor of Butembo. They then announced a “dry” strike, meaning a full stop of work, from 12 November, citing Article 39 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to strike.
Their letters also describe threats, insults and violence from parts of the local population against staff. Unidentified attackers tried to burn an Ebola centre run by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Beni, another North Kivu town, on the night of Friday 6 November, as we reported earlier this month.
Which Centres Are Affected
Treatment and transit work was disrupted on Thursday at several sites, including the Kitatumba, Katwa and Matanda treatment centres, local reports say. Katwa and Musienene are health zones near Butembo, and Kitatumba is a treatment centre at a hospital in Butembo.
Reports differ slightly on the full list of affected sites. How patients are being cared for during the strike has not been confirmed.
A Pattern in Congo’s Ebola Response
Pay disputes have hit the response before. Ebola workers in Ituri, a province in north-eastern Congo, went on strike in July, and responders protested over overdue pay in Bunia, its capital, in August.
The Butembo strike adds a new area to the list. Our own coverage shows how the outbreak has moved, with the hotspot shifting to North Kivu and the latest case count.
What It Means for You
For travellers and US readers, this strike is not a travel notice, so check your government’s current health guidance for eastern Congo. What to watch is whether treatment centres stay open, because a long stoppage in an outbreak zone is a risk for patients and for the staff who remain.
Look for an answer from Congo’s Health Ministry or Congo’s national Ebola response, and for a date when work resumes. Our DR Congo coverage follows the outbreak.
What Is Not Known
We found no public response from the Health Ministry by Thursday evening. It is also unclear how many workers are on strike and how many patients are affected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Ebola workers on strike in Butembo?
They want smaller pay gaps between staff groups, the national minimum wage and signed contracts. They say they have spent four months in the response without a signed contract.
Which Ebola centres are affected by the strike?
Centres in Butembo, Katwa and Musienene in North Kivu, including Kitatumba, Katwa and Matanda. Reports differ slightly on the full list.
Is anyone still treating Ebola patients?
How patients are being cared for during the strike has not been confirmed. We found no public statement from the Health Ministry by Thursday evening.
When did the strike start?
On Thursday 12 November 2026, with no end date. The workers say they will return when their demands are met.
Sources: Strike notices and declarations of the Ebola response workers of Butembo, Katwa and Musienene, dated 13 October 2026, early November 2026 and 12 November 2026; Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Congo, article 39 (right to strike).
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