The International Council of Nurses (ICN), the world’s largest nursing organization, has urgently called on Congolese authorities to compensate and safeguard health workers battling Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15. Three months later, the health response remains severely under-resourced, with the country’s already fragile health systems struggling against the deadly virus.

“You cannot fight Ebola without paying those risking their lives to contain it,” declared ICN CEO Howard Catton in a statement. The federation represents over 140 national nursing associations and more than 30 million nurses worldwide.

“Frontline nurses and health workers are putting their lives on the line every day, often at great personal cost. Yet months into this crisis, many still haven’t received their salaries,” he added.

Founded in 1899 and based in Geneva, the ICN sent a formal letter to DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba demanding immediate measures to pay and protect nurses and other health professionals leading the outbreak response.

According to the ICN, nurses and health workers on the front lines report unpaid salaries for two to three months.

“This situation demands urgent political leadership. Our message is clear: pay health workers what they are owed, ensure regular payments moving forward, and provide the protections they need to do their jobs safely,” Mr. Catton emphasized.

Beyond immediate salary and risk allowance payments, the ICN is urging authorities to guarantee future payments, supply adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), provide insurance, risk allowances, and other essential safeguards.

Ebola’s Deadly Spread in DRC

The DRC has recorded over 4,566 confirmed Ebola cases and 2,128 deaths in just three months—far outpacing the initial phase of the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, which saw 3,500 cases and nearly 2,300 deaths over a year.

“This is already the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, and it’s spreading faster than any previous epidemic. At the current rate, it could surpass the devastating 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak,” warned WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus this week.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reports that, compared to the first three months of the West Africa outbreak, the DRC has seen seven times more cases and five times more deaths.

The joint Africa CDC-WHO preparedness and response plan, launched in early June, requires $518 million in funding. However, only $264 million has been secured to date, according to Tedros.

No Vaccine Yet for Current Strain

No specific vaccine or treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain driving the current outbreak. In the absence of a targeted solution, the WHO is advocating for clinical trials using the Ervebo vaccine, which is approved for the Zaire strain.

“We are finalizing the protocol for submission to DRC regulatory authorities,” said Vasee Moorthy, WHO’s head of Research & Development, earlier this week.