Published on: 2026-06-12
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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As Ebola spreads in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more and more children will be infected with this dangerous infection. This was warned by the head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) emergency response program in the public health field, Douglas Noble, after visiting the Ituri province — the epicenter of the current outbreak.
As of June 11, 676 confirmed cases of the disease and 136 confirmed fatalities have been registered in the DR Congo. So far, the majority of the infected are working-age adults.
“As the outbreak develops, we must be prepared for an increase in the number of cases of infection transmission within households, which means that in the coming days we may see more sick children,” Noubl told journalists in Geneva.
Children’s position
According to the UNHCR representative, the eastern DRC has been suffering for many years from armed conflicts, massive population displacement, and a shortage of medical resources.
In Ituri province, more than half of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition, and over 20 percent have never received even the first dose of the basic vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough.
“These are already very vulnerable children. The ability to cope with additional shocks was practically exhausted even before Ebola appeared,” noted Noubel.
He reminds that during previous outbreaks, children accounted for a significant proportion of cases, and among the very young, the highest mortality rates were recorded. Many children also became orphans after the death of their parents.
City in front of hospitals
During the visit to the hospital in Bunia, doctors told the WHO representative that people have started to seek ordinary medical care less often due to fear and distrust.
“When families stop seeking medical help, children miss vaccinations, and diseases remain untreated. As a result, an outbreak begins to take lives of people whom it hadn’t directly affected before,” he noted.
An additional difficulty is that the first symptoms of Ebola in children – fever, diarrhea, vomiting, weakness, and loss of appetite – are hard to distinguish from the symptoms of malaria, which is widespread in the region. This leads to delays in diagnosing the disease.
Struggle for trust
At UNISEF, it is believed that one of the main obstacles to containing the outbreak is the population’s distrust.
According to a recent U-Report survey, in which 50,000 young residents of the DRC participated, two-thirds of respondents do not know how the Ebola virus spreads and how to protect themselves from it. Every fifth person does not believe in the existence of the disease, and almost a third of those surveyed would not like to see recovered patients in their community.
Noble told that in one of the camps for displaced persons, residents refused to hand over the body of the person who died of Ebola to the medics.
“This is a reminder of how important it is to form a common understanding of what is happening and to strengthen trust,” he said.
Help for families
UNICEF is implementing a six-month response plan aimed at helping 3.7 million people.
150 tons of humanitarian aid have already been delivered to Bunya. More than 1600 medical workers and volunteers underwent training, and special mobile groups visited over 160 thousand households.
In addition, UNISEF is creating special centers near medical institutions for patients with Ebola. There, children will be able to stay while their parents undergo treatment.
According to Noublé, the necessity of such support is obvious. UNICEF staff told him about a family where the grandmother, father, and mother died from Ebola, leaving a week-old infant without care, whose condition is now being closely monitored by medical professionals.
Risk for the region
The outbreak has already affected neighboring Uganda, where 19 confirmed cases of the disease and two fatalities have been registered. UNICEF supports response measures in 37 districts of the country, including border territories and refugee hosting areas.
The organization emphasizes that the situation can still be brought under control.
“Rapid detection of disease cases, quality medical assistance to children, contact tracing, and active participation of local communities, with necessary information, will help stop this outbreak,” Noubel said.
To continue the work, UNISEF requires funds totaling 70.7 million dollars for the next six months, of which only 17.4 million dollars have been received so far.
“DRC and Uganda have already dealt with Ebola outbreaks before. With the support of the international community, they will be able to do it again,” emphasized the UN agency representative.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate report of what the source claims, and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.