UNICEF warned that children are bearing a disproportionate share of the fatalities, while the outbreak continues to cripple essential health services….reports Asian Lite News Desk
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has surpassed 4,000 confirmed cases, with health authorities reporting 4,053 infections and 1,850 deaths as the virus continues to spread across the country.
According to the latest update, 694 patients remain in isolation or hospital care, while 793 people have recovered from the disease.
The latest figures come as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that children are bearing a disproportionate share of the outbreak’s toll, with 330 child deaths recorded among 743 confirmed cases in those aged 17 and under as of Aug. 2.
“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,” UNICEF said.
The agency said the outbreak has severely disrupted healthcare services in the hardest-hit Ituri Province, leading to a sharp decline in childhood immunisation, maternal healthcare and other essential medical services as fear of infection and disruptions at health facilities keep families away.
“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.
International medical humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres also warned that the outbreak in eastern DRC is “more critical than ever,” spreading at an alarming and unprecedented pace with “no sign of slowing down.”
Health authorities have also stepped up surveillance to prevent the virus from spreading beyond affected areas. Earlier this week, officials intercepted a passenger boat travelling from the outbreak-hit Tshopo Province after a former passenger who disembarked in Mongala Province developed symptoms including fever and diarrhoea before later dying.
Health Minister Roger Kamba said the case remained unconfirmed but authorities were taking precautionary measures.
“We are being cautious,” Kamba said, noting that it was a suspected case rather than a confirmed one.
A security and health cordon was established around the vessel while a mobile laboratory tested passengers and crew, according to government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya.
The outbreak, declared on May 15, continues to place immense pressure on the country’s healthcare system as authorities and international organisations work to contain its spread.
