A six-year-old child infected with Ebola who was removed from a treatment centre in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been located and is receiving medical care, according to health officials. The incident, which prompted a search by local authorities and raised concerns among international aid workers including British personnel, has been resolved without further escalation.
The child was taken from a clinic in Beni, a city in North Kivu province that has been at the epicentre of the latest Ebola outbreak. The motive for the abduction remains unclear, though health workers have faced mistrust and hostility in the region during previous outbreaks.
The UK’s Department for International Development has personnel deployed in the area supporting containment efforts. A spokesperson said they were aware of the incident and were monitoring the situation closely. British aid workers have been placed on alert, though no direct threat to them has been identified.
The Ebola virus, which causes severe haemorrhagic fever, has a high fatality rate. The current outbreak in DR Congo, declared in August, has infected more than 180 people and killed over 100. Efforts to contain the disease have been hampered by conflict and community resistance.
The child was found safe and has been returned to care, officials confirmed. The World Health Organization has welcomed the news but stressed the need for continued vigilance. “Every case is a priority,” a WHO spokesman said.
The incident underscores the challenges facing health workers in the region, where aid operations require both medical expertise and security coordination. For now, the immediate crisis has passed, but the underlying tensions remain.
