More than 300 children have died from Ebola since the outbreak began in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to figures cited Friday by United Nations deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq. Children account for nearly a quarter of confirmed cases but almost a third of all deaths, underscoring the disproportionate toll on the youngest victims.
Total cases have now surpassed 4,000, with 1,850 deaths reported, making this the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history. The Bundibugyo virus strain, declared in mid-May in the northeastern Ituri province, has spread rapidly across eastern DRC, outpacing the 2018-2020 epidemic that killed nearly 2,300.
The outbreak is severely disrupting access to essential healthcare beyond Ebola treatment. In the hardest-hit areas, use of health services has dropped by more than 40 percent as fear of infection keeps patients away from hospitals and clinics. The situation is particularly dire for pregnant women, with maternal deaths in Ituri nearly doubling since the outbreak began, according to the UN Population Fund.
About six women are now dying each week from childbirth-related complications in the province, and Ebola infection during pregnancy remains associated with almost universal fetal loss. The collapse of routine healthcare threatens to create a secondary health crisis alongside the Ebola emergency.
The WHO Technical Advisory Group on Vaccine Research has recommended a clinical trial in the DRC to evaluate the Ervebo vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus. Ervebo is the only licensed vaccine against Ebola, and researchers hope it can be adapted to protect against this strain. The WHO is working with partners to begin the trial as soon as possible.
During a visit this week to Ituri province, the WHO called for an urgent scale-up of the community-led response, including stronger early detection and contact follow-up, as well as better access to care. To counter fear and misinformation, 13,000 community workers have been deployed by the Ministry of Public Health, WHO, Africa Centres for Disease Control, UNICEF and partners.
These workers have reached more than 2.4 million people with information on Ebola prevention and early detection and carried out more than 500,000 household visits. Despite these efforts, the outbreak continues to intensify, with sustained transmission and continued increases in reported cases and deaths across five provinces.
Sources: Africanews, Ahram Online
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