The United Nations and the World Health Organisation have condemned the killing of a nurse responding to an Ebola alert in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In a statement on Tuesday, the UN said the nurse was killed by protesters in Bafwasende, a rural town in Tshopo Province, on Saturday while responding to an Ebola alert.

Julien Harneis, UN Senior Ebola Response Coordinator, condemned the attack while condoling with the nurse’s family and colleagues.

“I strongly condemn this attack and call for a thorough investigation. I urge communities to protect health workers and allow them to carry out their work safely,” he said.

The WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also expressed condolences to the nurse’s family and wished the injured health worker a speedy recovery.

“Everyone working to protect communities from this deadly disease must be able to work in dignity and safety,” he wrote on X. “Healthcare must always be protected.”

The killing occurred amid efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine.

According to recent WHO figures cited in the statement, the outbreak has recorded more than 9,760 cases and about 4,727 deaths in the DRC since it was declared on May 15.

The outbreak has spread to eight provinces: Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Sud-Ubangi, Tshopo and Nord-Ubangi.

Nigeria confirmed an Ebola case involving a woman who visited Uganda. The woman and her husband, who was identified as a contact, were medically evacuated to Switzerland on Monday morning. The WHO said both were Swiss citizens and that the woman was clinically stable.

Mohamed Janabi, WHO regional director for Africa, commended Nigeria’s health workers and other officials for managing the patient’s condition.

“The Nigerian medical team successfully managed her through the acute phase of the illness and stabilised her condition,” Mohamed Janabi, the WHO regional director for Africa, wrote on X. “This is a remarkable achievement and a testament to what Africa can accomplish when we work together,” he said.

He noted that the evacuation means Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases. The WHO official, however, urged vigilance.

Mr Janabi said Nigeria would continue monitoring 52 contacts, while Switzerland would take responsibility for the patient’s continued care and follow up with her husband.