As the number of confirmed Ebola cases worldwide surpasses 1,000, an estimated 2.95 million children and adolescents under the age of 18 are at risk in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to Unicef. The agency said the figure represents 54 per cent of the population across 31 affected health zones and reflects not only the threat posed by the virus itself but also the disruption of essential services caused by the outbreak.
“Our teams in Ituri have met children who have lost their mothers, and in some cases both parents, to Ebola,” said Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Children are trying to make sense of the threat while surrounded by rumours and online misinformation.”
Unicef said children and adolescents account for around 15 per cent of confirmed Ebola infections and more than 25 per cent of confirmed deaths in eastern DRC. Young people with confirmed Ebola are nearly twice as likely to die as adults, highlighting the disproportionate toll the outbreak is taking on children and adolescents.
The Ebola outbreak, driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment exists, has become the deadliest on record during its first month. Health officials warn that the true number of infections may be significantly higher than reported and believe the outbreak has yet to reach its peak.
Authorities have also been unable to identify the index case, or patient zero, and are still working to trace more than 35,000 people who had contact with infected individuals.
Response efforts have been further complicated by ongoing violence in eastern Congo.
In Ituri province, attacks by the Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces have cut off access to numerous villages and displaced communities, forcing many residents into overcrowded camps or leaving them constantly on the move.
Officials say the virus continues to spread faster than response measures can contain it, and the full scale of the crisis remains unclear.
