Ebola kills more than 300 children in DR Congo

More than 300 children have died in the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, UNICEF said Thursday, warning that the epidemic is also threatening essential health services in the hardest-hit eastern Ituri province.

In a statement, UNICEF said Congo had recorded 743 confirmed cases among children aged 17 and under, including 330 deaths, as of Aug. 2.

Between April and June, the use of essential health services fell by 42% in the main outbreak hotspots of Bunia, Mongbwalu, Nizi and Rwampara, while service use across Ituri province declined by an estimated 13%, it said.

Although children represent nearly one in four confirmed cases, they account for almost one in three deaths.

The organization noted that children under 5 are particularly affected, with a case fatality rate more than twice that of adults.

“The data suggests that fear of infection, combined with disruptions to services, is deterring lots of children and their families from seeking care,” said John Agbor, UNICEF representative in Congo.

“One doctor told our team that before the current outbreak, his facility saw an average of 500 patients a month but that has dropped to almost nothing.”

Agbor said the Ebola outbreak had severely disrupted the entire health system, with inevitable consequences for cases of malaria, diarrhea and other treatable illnesses that are among the leading causes of death among children.

Congo has reported 3,973 cases, including 1,801 deaths, since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, according to the latest Health Ministry situation report released Thursday.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said earlier this week that two and a half months after the Ebola outbreak was declared, the situation in eastern Congo was more critical than ever.

The outbreak is spreading at an alarming and unprecedented rate despite the tireless efforts of frontline medical teams, it said.