Ebola kills 330 children in DR Congo: UNICEF
Kinshasa, Aug 6
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed 330 children and is severely disrupting essential health services in the hardest-hit Ituri Province, the United Nations Children's Fund said Thursday.
As of Aug 2, the DRC had recorded 743 confirmed cases among children aged 17 and under, including 330 deaths, UNICEF said in a statement.
"Although Children represent nearly one in four confirmed cases, they account for almost one in three deaths. Young children under five are particularly affected, with a case fatality rate more than double that of adults," the organisation noted, Xinhua News Agency reported.
According to UNICEF, the outbreak also caused a sharp decline in childhood immunisation, maternal healthcare and other essential services, as fear of infection and disruptions to health facilities kept families away from care.
"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.
The global medical charity Doctors Without Borders warned Wednesday that the situation in eastern DRC was "more critical than ever," spreading at an alarming and unprecedented pace with "no sign of slowing down."
As of Tuesday, the DRC had recorded 3,973 confirmed cases, including 1,801 deaths, since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
Health authorities in DRC have intercepted a passenger boat outside Kinshasa following the death of a former passenger suspected of having Ebola, officials said Wednesday.
The vessel, which travelled from the outbreak-hit Tshopo province, was halted about 65 km from central Kinshasa. Health Minister Roger Kamba said the alert was triggered after a passenger disembarked in Mongala province developed symptoms including a fever and diarrhoea, and later died.
"We are being cautious," Kamba said, noting that it was a suspected case rather than a confirmed one.
A security and health cordon has been established around the vessel while a mobile laboratory tested all passengers and crew, government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said later Wednesday.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's not just Ebola killing these kids - the outbreak is disrupting health services for malaria and diarrhoea, which are actually bigger killers of children. This is a cascading humanitarian disaster. The boat interception near Kinshasa shows how easily this could spread further. African nations need our solidarity, not just our sympathy.
This is a wake-up call for global health systems. We saw what COVID did to the world, and Ebola is even more deadly. The WHO and UNICEF must coordinate better with local authorities. The situation in eastern DRC being called "more critical than ever" is deeply concerning. Every nation, including India, should contribute to the Ebola response fund.
As someone who works in global health, this situation is catastrophic. The case fatality rate among young children being double that of adults is unacceptable in 2024. We have the tools to fight Ebola - we need the political will and funding to deploy them consistently. The DRC has been dealing with outbreaks for years, and the world keeps underfunding the response.
Sad to see the world's attention divided. During COVID, everyone was talking about vaccines for rich countries, and now Ebola in Congo barely makes headlines. The disruption to routine immunisation and maternal healthcare means thousands of preventable deaths beyond Ebola itself. These children deserve better from us all. 😔
The boat being stopped near Kinshasa is what should actually be happening everywhere - proper screening and quarantine protocols. I just hope they test everyone thoroughly, because one suspected case could become a major outbreak. The DRC
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