Six-Year-Old Ebola Patient Taken from DR Congo Hospital Found Safe

A six-year-old girl being treated for Ebola in the eastern Congolese city of Butembo was found safe Friday, several days after armed men stormed the hospital where she was being treated and took her and her mother away, raising fears that the child was at risk of spreading the virus in the community. Health officials confirmed she was located at an Ebola treatment centre approximately 18 kilometres from Butembo and described her condition as stable.

The Abduction

Dr. Lubambo Maboko Gaston, a senior health official in the area, said a group of "very angry" men forcibly removed the girl and her mother from the treatment facility. The exact identity of the men and their relationship to the child were not immediately established by authorities. The incident is the latest in a pattern of attacks on Ebola treatment centres during the current 2026 outbreak in the DR Congo, driven by deep-rooted community mistrust, fear, and misinformation about the disease and its treatment.

The Search and Recovery

Health authorities launched an immediate search operation and worked with community leaders to locate the child. On Friday, Dr. Gaston confirmed that the girl and her mother had turned up at an Ebola treatment facility roughly 18 km from Butembo, having apparently sought treatment after the mother witnessed the child's deteriorating condition. The girl's health status was described as stable.

Ongoing Outbreak

The 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — the world's most Ebola-prone nation — has proven difficult to contain partly because of violence and hostility directed at healthcare workers and treatment facilities. The WHO and Congolese health ministry have called for increased community engagement and education to build trust in the healthcare response and prevent further incidents that put both patients and the wider population at risk.