Child Mortality Rises as Ebola Spreads Across DR Congo

The Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo has escalated to a point where children are suffering the highest fatality rates. Health ministry data shows 4,053 confirmed Ebola cases, resulting in 1,850 deaths, including 330 children.

Six hundred ninety‑four individuals remain in isolation facilities or are receiving inpatient care, while 793 patients have been declared recovered and sent home. The eastern provinces continue to experience the most severe conditions.

UNICEF highlights that children represent about one‑fourth of all confirmed cases but close to one‑third of all deaths. Infants and toddlers under five years old are particularly vulnerable, with a mortality rate more than twice that of adults.

The fear of contracting Ebola, combined with interruptions at health centres, has pushed families away from seeking medical help. This avoidance has led to a dramatic decrease in routine immunisation programmes for children, reduced access to prenatal care, and a broader collapse of essential health services.

John Agbor, representing UNICEF in the DRC, warned that the outbreak is destabilising the entire health ecosystem. The secondary impact could be a surge in deaths from malaria, diarrhoea and other treatable illnesses that traditionally claim the lives of many children. Médecins Sans Frontières has sounded the alarm that the virus is spreading at an unprecedented pace, with hospitals lacking sufficient beds and medical staff overwhelmed by the growing demand.