Kinshasa, August 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has killed 330 children and severely disrupted essential healthcare services in the worst-hit Ituri Province, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday.
According to UNICEF, the DRC had recorded 743 confirmed Ebola cases among children aged 17 and below as of August 2, with 330 deaths.
Although children account for nearly one in four confirmed cases, they represent almost one in three deaths, UNICEF said, adding that children under five have been particularly vulnerable. Their case fatality rate is more than twice that recorded among adults.
The outbreak has also affected routine healthcare services, with childhood immunisation, maternal care and other essential programmes experiencing a sharp decline. Fear of infection and disruptions at health facilities have discouraged many families from seeking medical assistance.
“The Ebola outbreak is severely disrupting the entire health system, with inevitable consequences for cases of malaria, diarrhoea, and other treatable illnesses that are the biggest killers of children,” said John Agbor, UNICEF representative in the DRC.
Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, warned on Wednesday that the situation in eastern DRC had become “more critical than ever”, with the outbreak spreading at an alarming pace and showing no clear signs of slowing.
As of Tuesday, the DRC had reported 3,973 confirmed Ebola cases, including 1,801 deaths, since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
Authorities have also stepped up surveillance following the death of a former passenger who travelled on a boat from outbreak-hit Tshopo province. The vessel was intercepted about 65 km from central Kinshasa after the passenger, who had disembarked in neighbouring Mongala province, developed fever and diarrhoea before dying.
Health Minister Roger Kamba said the incident involved a suspected case and urged caution.
A security and health cordon was subsequently established around the vessel, while a mobile laboratory tested passengers and crew members, government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said.
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