Elie Kasindi Kabululu, RN reporting from the field in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo

Elie Kasindi Kabululu is a nurse who lives and works in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I first met Elie when he was a participant in the International Council of Nurses’ Global Nursing Leadership Institute that I was co-facilitating in 2016. He is a leader in nursing in the Congo and an expert in infection prevention and control. He alerted me a few weeks ago about caring for people who were dying from some infectious disease. That disease turned out to be Ebola. He and his nursing colleagues work without the necessary protective equipment, putting their own lives at risk every day. But as he wrote in an email toady (we are posting it here with his permission), the continuing regional conflict in the country presents another danger to health professionals and patients alike. Unfortunately, little attention is being given to these horrific conditions by media in the United States. With few resources, Elie and his colleagues struggle to serve the people in their communities. English is not his native language but here is his email message.   Diana Mason

Dear all
We would like to share with you again our latest humanitarian news in the Beni area in Eastern  Democratic Republic CONGO.

While the attention is focused at the Ebola outbreak, yesterday the city has been attacked in three points by the Uganda rebels, and
then the humanitarian crisis increased when the people ran away regardless of the current precautions of preventing spread of the EBOLA outbreak. Many families were separated and children are wandering in the city without assistance. The local airport was inaccessible as the fighting occurred around is, and then the humanitarian crisis increased.

Regarding the EBOLA outbreak, the number of the deaths recorded is today 82; and, in all, 122 cases have reported and 2,345 contacts are being
followed.
 .
The health worker who are working to assist both the victims of Ebola and displaced persons are very exhausted. They are working on a shortage basis and most of them have been unpaid for many months.