The use of police and the military to force communities to comply with Ebola care and prevention measures has been condemned by one of the organisations at the forefront of efforts to bring the current outbreak under control.

In an excoriating attack on the response to the long-running outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo Dr Joanne Liu, international president of Médecins Sans Frontières, said that the current atmosphere in the region was “toxic”.

She said that heavy handed tactics - which include the police and army forcing people to attend treatment centres, be vaccinated or comply with strict infection control procedures regarding burials - was not only unethical but also counter-productive as it discourages people from coming forward.

Despite telling the DRC military that their treatment centres are a military-free zone armed personnel continue to bring patients in, MSF said.

At a press conference, Dr Liu described how local people view Ebola response initiatives.

“They see fleets of cars driving too fast, arriving to take away a single sick person. They see a vast amount of money pour in but they don’t see where it ends up. They hear advice that they should wash their hands but nothing about the lack of soap and water. They see relatives buried without ceremony and see their possessions burned,” she said.