Congo-Kinshasa: As Ebola Child Deaths Pass 300, Unicef Warns Outbreak Also Threatens Essential Health Services

By mid-August 2026, Ebola-related child deaths in Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ituri Province had surpassed 300, prompting UNICEF to warn that the outbreak is also jeopardizing essential health services. The decline in healthcare access, driven by fear of infection and disrupted services, has led to a 42 percent drop in essential health service utilization in the outbreak's hotspots of Bunia, Mongbwalu, Nizi, and Rwampara.

In the same period, routine childhood vaccinations plummeted by over half, with a 69 percent decline in first-dose measles vaccinations in the outbreak epicentre of Mongbwalu. Follow-up vaccines, such as the third dose of pentavalent and second measles doses, also saw reductions of 22 percent and 18 percent province-wide. Moreover, facility-assisted deliveries dropped by 13 percent across the province, with even steeper declines in specific hotspots.

The implications are dire, as young children under five are particularly vulnerable, accounting for nearly one in three Ebola-related deaths. As of mid-August 2026, the Ebola outbreak had claimed 743 confirmed child cases and 330 child deaths. To mitigate the mounting threat to children and women, UNICEF and partners have trained and deployed around 13,000 frontline actors, reached over 2.4 million people with prevention guidance, and supplied infection prevention and control materials to eight Ebola treatment centers.

Despite these efforts, a significant funding gap of US$89.9 million remains in UNICEF's six-month appeal to sustain and expand life-saving interventions in the affected health zones.