A six-year-old Ebola patient has been recovered from kidnappers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, three days after being snatched from a treatment centre. The child, who was being treated for the virus, is now in stable condition, according to local health officials. The incident took place in the eastern city of Beni, a region plagued by armed militia groups and mistrust of foreign medical workers.
The child's abduction initially sparked fears of a wider security breakdown that could jeopardise the fight against the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak in history. However, the swift recovery of the patient has provided a rare piece of good news for health workers who have been forced to operate under constant threat. The case highlights the extreme challenges faced by medical teams trying to contain the virus in a region where conflict and suspicion run deep.
For the family of the child, the ordeal is over. But for the thousands of health workers on the front line, the dangers remain very real.
