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 severely impacted the Ituri province, where nearly one million people have been displaced by conflict, with women and children comprising around 80 percent of those displaced.

Children represent nearly a quarter of confirmed Ebola cases but account for almost a third of all deaths, highlighting their disproportionate vulnerability. Women and children continue to bear the brunt of the crisis, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The outbreak has also severely disrupted essential healthcare services. UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq stated 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 decline has prevented many pregnant women from seeking care, contributing to approximately six maternal deaths per week from childbirth-related complications. Ebola infection during pregnancy is associated with nearly universal fetal loss.

To address the crisis, the Congolese health ministry and partners, including the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC), UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO), have deployed around 13,000 community workers. WHO convened advisory groups following the declaration of the Bundibugyo outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 16th, 2026.

Health experts are urging trials of the only vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus to help halt further spread of the disease.

Sources