The Ebola outbreak that began in mid-May in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has resulted in the deaths of more than 300 children, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Children represent nearly a quarter of confirmed cases but account for almost a third of all deaths.

The crisis is most severe in Ituri province, where nearly one million people have been displaced by conflict, with women and children making up around 80 percent of those displaced, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.

The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus, which was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 16 May. In response, WHO convened advisory groups and, alongside partners including the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) and UNICEF, has supported the deployment of approximately 13,000 community workers by the Congolese health ministry.

The outbreak has severely disrupted essential healthcare services. UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq noted that in the hardest-hit areas, health service usage has dropped by more than 40 percent in recent months due to fear of infection. This has particularly affected pregnant women, with roughly six women dying each week from childbirth-related complications, and Ebola infection during pregnancy being linked to almost universal fetal loss.

Health experts have called for trials of the only vaccine against the disease to help halt further spread of the Bundibugyo virus.

Sources