Ebola Hospital Breach: Six‑Year‑Old Child and Mother Abducted in Butembo

Wed Jun 17 2026 14:17:36 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Armed men stormed a hospital in Butembo, DR Congo, seizing a six‑year‑old Ebola patient and her mother amid growing mistrust and conflict.

Six years after the Ebola outbreak began in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, armed men seized a six‑year‑old patient and her mother from Wanamahika Hospital in Butembo. The kid was taken by individuals armed with knives, sparking fear of attacks on treatment centres. Experts warn that such incidents could worsen the outbreak by discouraging people from seeking care and increasing the risk of virus spread. Meanwhile, the M23 rebellion continues to control large areas and complicates health‑system efforts to respond to the crisis.

Ebola Hospital Breach: Six‑Year‑Old Child and Mother Abducted in Butembo

In the eastern province of Ituri, a security driver for the international community claimed that armed men stormed Wanamahika Hospital in Butembo, seizing a six‑year‑old child under treatment for Ebola and her mother. The men, described as “very angry” and armed with knives, withdrew the child out of the facility itself, raising immediate concern about the patient’s care.

Dr Lubambo Maboko Gaston, a local health official, said the abductors’ motives were unclear. He cautioned the mother to go to a health center immediately, noting that staying on the road could worsen their condition and endanger others.

Ebola treatment centres have historically faced attacks during this outbreak – nearly 200 confirmed deaths and 840 cases – as community mistrust and rumors of external manipulation persist.

Last month, angry crowds fired shots into the air when they tried to retrieve bodies from a facility, and a separate incident saw people setting fire to isolation tents when they could not recover a presumed Ebola victim’s body. Such events exacerbate the perception that the disease is a fabrication, fueling hostility toward hospitals.

The outbreak currently contains the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which no vaccine is yet available, and the WHO warns that ongoing conflict, notably the M23 rebel group’s control of large swathes of North and South Kivu, hampers containment measures.

Coping with misinformation and armed interference remains a critical barrier to curbing the disease and protecting vulnerable patients, underscoring the urgent need for community engagement and strengthened security at treatment facilities.