More than 300 children have died since mid-May in the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Friday, August 7th, 2026. The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo species, has raised hopes for new vaccine trials to halt its spread.

Children and women bear a disproportionate share of the outbreak in Ituri province, the most affected area, where nearly one million people have been displaced by conflict, with women and children accounting for around 80 percent of those displaced, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Children represent nearly a quarter of confirmed Ebola cases but account for almost a third of all deaths. The outbreak has also severely disrupted essential healthcare services. UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq stated in New York that in the hardest-hit areas, use of health services has dropped by more than 40 percent in recent months due to fear of infection.

This fear, combined with overstretched health services, is preventing many pregnant women from seeking care. Approximately six women die each week from childbirth-related complications, and Ebola infection during pregnancy is associated with almost universal fetal loss.

In response, about 13,000 community workers have been deployed by the Congolese health ministry and partners, including the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC), UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO convened advisory groups after the Bundibugyo outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 16th, 2026.

Health experts are urging trials of the only vaccine against the Bundibugyo species to help control the outbreak.

Sources