{"id":1655,"date":"2026-05-23T14:47:43","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T14:47:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/23\/every-health-facility-said-they-were-full-alarm-over-rapid-spread-of-ebola-in-drc\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T14:47:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T14:47:43","slug":"every-health-facility-said-they-were-full-alarm-over-rapid-spread-of-ebola-in-drc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1655","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Every health facility said they were full\u2019: alarm over rapid spread of Ebola in DRC"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border)\" class=\"dcr-1i4mrud\">\n<div class=\"dcr-xzr4d9\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:caption\" data-gu-name=\"caption\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><span class=\"dcr-1giivcq\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-19ds8t4\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Health workers wearing protective equipment at a hospital in Mongbwalu. Photograph: Michel Lunanga\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1ywnrla\">\n<p>New strain of virus, aid cuts, and cultural norms around burials and touch add to difficulties in stemming outbreak<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:byline\" data-gu-name=\"byline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1kgqp3h\">By<!-- --> <span class=\"dcr-1xrt66o\"><a rel=\"author\" data-link-name=\"auto tag link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/carlos-mureithi\">Carlos Mureithi<\/a><span> in Nairobi and Prosper Heri Ngorora in Goma<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The warnings from aid groups and healthcare workers in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/congo\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/a> have been stark, their calls for coordinated international action impassioned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">As the country reels from the return of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/ebola\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Ebola<\/a> virus, there is growing concern that its fragile healthcare system will struggle to cope with an outbreak that experts say goes well beyond the number of confirmed cases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe speed at which this Ebola outbreak is spreading is deeply worrying,\u201d said Rose Tchwenko, the DRC country director at the NGO Mercy Corps. \u201cThe risk of wider spread is real, and more regional and global support is urgently needed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Hama Amado, a field coordinator in the city of Bunia for the Alima aid group, said the virus was gaining momentum and spreading in many areas. \u201cEveryone must mobilise,\u201d he told Associated Press on Thursday. \u201cWe are still far from saying that the situation is under control.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">It has been a week since the DRC reported its 17th outbreak of Ebola, a viral disease with a mortality rate of between 25% and 90% that is spread through body fluids or contaminated materials and causes organ damage, blood vessel impairment and sometimes severe internal and external bleeding.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"951e438c-97d9-4702-8582-c9d731695bf2\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Smoke rises from a building, with tents and a plastic cordon in the foreground\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/d5c19c72c892b6511d8fec650f9781de45efb94f\/975_0_4525_3619\/master\/4525.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"355.90165745856353\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"951e438c-97d9-4702-8582-c9d731695bf2\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-19ds8t4\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">An Ebola treatment centre in Rwampara that a crowd set on fire on Thursday after authorities refused to hand over a victim\u2019s body.<\/span> Photograph: Gradel Muyisa Mumbere\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths have been recorded since the first known victim died in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in north-western DRC, on 24 April. Mourners touched him during a funeral in the nearby town of Mongbwalu, contributing to the spread of the virus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Hospitals and other healthcare facilities have quickly become overwhelmed. Trish Newport, an emergency programme manager at M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res, said a team had identified suspected cases over the weekend at Bunia\u2019s Salama hospital but found no available isolation ward in the area. \u201cEvery health facility they called said: \u2018We\u2019re full of suspect cases. We don\u2019t have any space,\u2019\u201d she said on social media. \u201cThis gives you a vision of how crazy it is right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dcr-z9ge1j\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><span style=\"color:var(--drop-cap);font-weight:500\" class=\"dcr-15rw6c2\">S<\/span>everal factors are impeding the aid response, including the strain of the virus, for which there is no approved treatment or vaccine; the remote and conflict-scarred location of the outbreak; and local funeral customs which are at odds with strict disease-control practice. All this is set against the backdrop of big shortfalls in aid budgets, driven largely by the Trump administration\u2019s cuts to foreign aid.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"f3cde6cd-c53d-4e93-b8f3-aee1567ca2d8\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Two men carry plastic buckets and jerry cans as they walk along a path near buildings\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/230a6eb7739b49fce3f4ee9e799b9ea5000391b9\/133_0_6827_5464\/master\/6827.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"356.1564376739417\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"f3cde6cd-c53d-4e93-b8f3-aee1567ca2d8\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-19ds8t4\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Volunteers carry disinfectant containers and sanitation equipment outside a hospital in Mongbwalu.<\/span> Photograph: Michel Lunanga\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">According to a study by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) this year, more than half of health facilities surveyed in North and South Kivu provinces \u2013 where cases have also been reported \u2013 were damaged or destroyed, and nearly half had reported significant staff departures since January 2025 owing to conflict and insecurity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Two incidents this week laid bare some of the aggravating factors. On Tuesday, at least 17 people were killed in an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces, a militant group operating in eastern DRC and parts of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/uganda\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Uganda<\/a>, on several villages near the town of Mambasa, in Ituri. \u201cWe are facing a double war: one of weapons and another of the disease outbreak,\u201d said Zawadi Jeanne, a woman from the town who lost her brother and uncle in an ADF attack last month.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"2192a14c-5aa5-45ee-973b-3d2edb5e1dd1\" class=\"element element-interactive element--inline element-inline dcr-w422y2\" data-alt=\"Map showing sites of Ebola cases in DRC and Uganda\" data-testid=\"interactive-element-Map%20showing%20sites%20of%20Ebola%20cases%20in%20DRC%20and%20Uganda\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\">\n<div data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-ri3hap\"><\/div>\n<p><a data-name=\"placeholder\" href=\"https:\/\/interactive.guim.co.uk\/uploader\/embed\/2026\/05\/ebola-zip\/giv-32554o93XQyCykUG8\" class=\"dcr-1eupayo\">Map showing sites of Ebola cases in DRC and Uganda<\/a><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On Thursday, a crowd set fire to a treatment centre in Rwampara, near Bunia, after authorities refused to give them the body of a victim they wanted to bury themselves.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The burial of bodies, which can be highly contagious, is handled by authorities for containment of the disease, but some families prefer traditional burials, which involve washing and touching the body. In previous outbreaks this has proven to be a key driver of the disease\u2019s spread.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"151c5c83-5683-4a47-830f-9667e732d119\" data-spacefinder-role=\"showcase\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-5h0uf4\">\n<div id=\"img-4\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A group of medical staff wearing full-body protective equipment spray the trailer with disinfectant\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7132d36257904f79f37e55f49becb09217a34fa1\/0_0_5760_3840\/master\/5760.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.66666666666663\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-4\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"151c5c83-5683-4a47-830f-9667e732d119\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-9ktzqp\"><span class=\"dcr-19ds8t4\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Medical staff wearing protective equipment spray disinfectant on a trailer used to transport a patient who died at the hospital in Rwampara.<\/span> Photograph: Seros Muyisa\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Batakura Zamundu Mugeni, a customary chief who was at the scene in Rwampara, told Agence France-Presse that authorities were working with health officials to track down any patients who may have fled, as well as contact cases. He blamed the unrest on \u201cyoung people who do not grasp the reality of the disease\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On Friday, the province banned funeral wakes and said burials must be conducted only by specialised teams. It also prohibited the transport of dead bodies by non-medical vehicles and limited public gatherings to a maximum of 50 people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Instructions to avoid physical contact more generally are hampered by a strong culture of expressing affection through touch. \u201cWe live in a society where shaking hands is on the menu every day,\u201d said Jackson Lubula, who lives in Bunia. \u201cWith this disease, anything is possible. A small mistake can cost you dearly, so I decided to wash my hands with soap every time after each greeting.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"19f47399-63d0-404c-a886-90d398b904d2\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-5\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A health workers wearing protective equipment sprays disinfectant on another\u2019s gloved hands\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/966ac4918ec6a0e572b76bce154451c3061b2aa0\/0_0_8192_5464\/master\/8192.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.8115234375\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-5\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"19f47399-63d0-404c-a886-90d398b904d2\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-19ds8t4\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">The disease spreads via the bodily fluids of infected people.<\/span> Photograph: Michel Lunanga\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Reports from across the affected areas add to the impression that the virus has been spreading unnoticed. <a href=\"https:\/\/actionaid.org\/news\/2026\/lack-protective-equipment-against-ebola-schools-and-communities-ticking-time-bomb-says\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">A rapid needs assessment<\/a> by ActionAid in the Bunia, Nizi and Nyankunde areas found nearly a third of schools had registered at least one suspected Ebola case or close contact.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On Saturday, the Red Cross said three of its volunteers who died this month were believed to have contracted the virus as long ago as 27 March while carrying out dead body management as part of an unrelated humanitarian mission.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">People in Rwampara said the disease struck suddenly, and that early symptoms were mistaken for illnesses such as malaria. Botwine Swanze, whose son died, told a reporter for Associated Press: \u201cHe told me his heart was hurting. Then he started crying because of the pain. Then he started bleeding and vomiting a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dcr-z9ge1j\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><span style=\"color:var(--drop-cap);font-weight:500\" class=\"dcr-15rw6c2\">D<\/span>r N\u00faria Carrera Gra\u00f1o, a clinician with ICRC who has provided services in two previous Ebola outbreaks, described the situation in the DRC as a humanitarian, political and security crisis resulting from cumulative and unfortunate events.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"4be7025c-86b8-4757-a7c5-3a04f2984682\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-6\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Red Cross workers wearing full-body equipment stand opposite another holding a sprayer and wearing a backpack of disinfectant\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/5c3974f64d6c8571e6ce07d4878a14a5b370ae21\/0_0_5500_3753\/master\/5500.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"303.6518181818182\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-6\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"4be7025c-86b8-4757-a7c5-3a04f2984682\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-19ds8t4\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Red Cross workers in Bunia go through a disinfection process after handling the body of an Ebola victim.<\/span> Photograph: Gradel Muyisa Mumbere\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">She said responders should learn from past outbreaks about the importance of international cooperation and coordination. \u201cWe don\u2019t have time to lose,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">To control the outbreak, the DRC government is working with medics including those who have experience in handling the disease.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Dr Richard Kojan, an intensive care clinician with Alima who has provided services in several Ebola outbreaks, said there were many similarities between them, such as late discovery, insufficient resources to respond, and the lack of a vaccine at the outset.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe outbreak is out of control,\u201d he said from Kinshasa, the DRC\u2019s capital, this week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In the absence of a vaccine and approved treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, Kojan said, medics were working to optimise the standard of intensive care for patients and put in place surveillance and contact tracing for suspected cases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIf they are admitted to the treatment centre early, the viral load will be low in their samples, and then, with optimised care, they will have a high probability of surviving,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"fe09fdb7-0a3b-4925-9610-573c127e8d22\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-7\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Health workers in protective suits in an isolation unit\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/27599e58851ec16938bcc6900d48068b83641d4d\/0_0_6285_4192\/master\/6285.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.80827366746223\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-7\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"fe09fdb7-0a3b-4925-9610-573c127e8d22\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-19ds8t4\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A portable isolation unit.<\/span> Photograph: J\u00e9r\u00f4me Delay\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Alima team is also deploying a portable treatment unit called Cube, a transparent plastic structure that allows interaction between patients and their relatives and medics without the need to wear personal protective equipment. Kojan developed the concept after his experience with Ebola in the 2014-16 outbreak.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">As the virus spreads, increasing numbers of people in Bunia are discovering friends and relatives have fallen victim, fuelling their anxiety.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe mere thought of the name \u2018Ebola\u2019 scares me,\u201d said Jeanne, who has a nephew in a health facility in Rwampara.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But she remains optimistic. \u201cGod is the one who knows what\u2019s ahead,\u201d she said. \u201cI tell myself that the disease will spread but not to an alarming level. We can just hope for the best.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/ebola\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Ebola<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/congo\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/uganda\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Uganda<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/science\/infectiousdiseases\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Infectious diseases<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/global-health\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Global health<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/features\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">features<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=%E2%80%98Every%20health%20facility%20said%20they%20were%20full%E2%80%99:%20alarm%20over%20rapid%20spread%20of%20Ebola%20in%20DRC&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/may\/23\/ebola-virus-spread-drc-democratic-republic-of-congo?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2026%2Fmay%2F23%2Febola-virus-spread-drc-democratic-republic-of-congo&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=world\/2026\/may\/23\/ebola-virus-spread-drc-democratic-republic-of-congo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-jwg3xc\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Health workers wearing protective equipment at a hospital in Mongbwalu. Photograph: Michel Lunanga\/Getty Images New strain of virus, aid cuts, and cultural norms around burials and touch add to difficulties &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1655\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1655\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}