DR Congo: Ebola spreads as agencies brace for child victims
DR Congo: Ebola Outbreak Expands, Child Infections Threaten to Rise
DR Congo - UN agencies have warned that the Ebola epidemic in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is intensifying, with growing concerns that pediatric cases may soon surge. The outbreak, which has moved swiftly across regions, now spans a vast area, raising alarms about the potential for more children to be infected.
Epidemiological Update
Dr. Olivier le Polain, WHO’s epidemiology and analytics head, noted that cases are being identified in new health zones daily. “This reflects the outbreak’s scale, which exceeds current detection capabilities, and the high population mobility in this part of the DRC,” he explained during a video call from Beni to Geneva.
“Cases are being discovered daily in previously unaffected health zones. This reflects the outbreak’s scale, which exceeds current detection capabilities, and the high population mobility in this part of the DRC.”
Child Vulnerability
Over the past three weeks since the outbreak was confirmed, the DRC health authorities have documented 676 cases and 136 deaths attributed to the Bundibugyo strain. Infections now cover a 1,000-kilometer stretch from Aru in northern Ituri province to Miti Murhesa in South Kivu, with 34 health zones affected as of the latest report.
Response leaders highlighted that numerous children in the region suffer from chronic malnutrition and lack immunization against common illnesses. This makes them highly susceptible to infections in a resource-abundant area already grappling with a humanitarian crisis, driven by decades of conflict between government forces and armed groups.
“These are already very vulnerable children, so the capacity for this community to absorb any additional stressors was already stretched to breaking point.”
Response Efforts
Dr. Douglas Noble, UNICEF’s Global Lead for Public Health Emergencies, cautioned that while adult infections dominate so far, household transmission could lead to a rise in child cases. “We must be prepared for increasing household transmission, which may result in more children being affected,” he stated.
As of now, over half of children under five in Ituri province are chronically malnourished, and more than one in five have never received their first dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccines. Estimating the number of children at risk remains challenging due to insufficient surveillance data.
UNICEF has deployed over 1,600 community health workers and 24 decontamination teams, reaching more than 160,000 households. The agency has also coordinated eight transport flights, delivering over 100 tonnes of emergency supplies to support DRC’s six-month response plan aimed at aiding 3.7 million people.
Containment Challenges
Although the virus can be deadly, Dr. Noble emphasized that it spreads differently than COVID-19, typically through body fluids. He urged schools to remain open, stressing that infection prevention measures and education within classrooms are essential.
“There’s no reason for a school to close. Infection prevention and control measures do have to be taken and there does have to be education within the school, amongst the teachers and the staff and amongst the children.”
Dr. le Polain added that while contact tracing has improved, with over 70% of cases now properly tracked, it remains insufficient for full control. “Improving local testing capacity is critical, as the outbreak’s full scale is still unclear,” he noted, citing a single testing lab in Beni that processed 500 tests in one day.