Frontline health workers battling the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo say they are risking their lives without receiving the salaries they were promised, prompting strikes and fears that staff shortages could undermine efforts to contain one of the country's worst outbreaks as infections continue to rise.
Healthcare workers involved in the Ebola response say they have gone for months without receiving their salaries despite working in some of the most dangerous conditions of the outbreak.
Among them is Wiza Bondele, a member of the Ebola infection prevention and control team who also worked during the country's 2018 outbreak. His team disinfects homes where Ebola victims have died, reducing the risk of further transmission.
Bondele said workers launched a strike in July after authorities failed to address their concerns over unpaid wages and hazardous working conditions.
He said some workers who eventually received payments were given $380 instead of the promised $510, while many others remained unpaid.
