UNICEF: 330 Children Dead as Ebola Rages in Eastern DRC

Kinshasa, August 6 – An escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed 330 young lives, UNICEF reported. By August 2, 743 cases of Ebola were confirmed among children and teenagers under the age of 17, resulting in 330 deaths.

Data shows that children constitute about one quarter of all confirmed infections, yet they account for one third of the mortality tally. The most affected group is children under five, whose death rate is more than double that of adult patients.

The epidemic has forced a drastic reduction in essential health services, including routine immunizations and prenatal care, as fear of infection and disrupted health facilities deter families from seeking treatment.

UNICEF representative John Agbor highlighted that the outbreak is crippling the health system, increasing the burden of other treatable diseases such as malaria and diarrhoea, which are major contributors to child deaths.

Doctors Without Borders issued an urgent alert, stating that the situation in eastern DRC has become “more serious than ever,” with the virus spreading at an unprecedented speed and showing no signs of abating.

Since the outbreak’s declaration on May 15, the DRC has logged 3,973 confirmed Ebola cases and 1,801 fatalities.

In a related safety measure, officials stopped a passenger boat near Kinshasa after a suspect Ebola case emerged among travelers from Tshopo province. The vessel was intercepted about 65 km from central Kinshasa after a passenger displayed fever and diarrhoea and subsequently died. Health Minister Roger Kamba said precautionary steps were taken, while a mobile laboratory screened all passengers and crew.