{
  "id": 5923825,
  "title": "Ebola: Why children are last to be treated in medical crises",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/ebola-why-children-are-last-to-be-treated-in-medical-crises",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-06T06:13:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "DW English (Top Stories)",
    "slug": "dw-english-top-stories",
    "url": "https://www.dw.com/en/ebola-why-children-are-last-to-be-treated-in-medical-crises/a-79050107?maca=en-rss-en-top-1022-xml-mrss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed over 3,000 lives, with children particularly vulnerable. The mortality rate for those under five is over 60%, yet they are often left out of Ebola treatment and prevention research. This is largely due to a lack of medication suitable for young patients and insufficient information on proper administration. An experimental antiviral drug, obeldesivir, is being studied for its potential to protect individuals exposed to the strain responsible for the outbreak. However, the initial study did not include children weighing less than 30 kilograms or those under 12 years old. Another antiviral drug, remdesivir, is also an option, but administering it to young children is challenging. Young Ebola patients require specialized care, closer monitoring, and specially trained staff due to their weakened immune systems, underlying health conditions, and difficulty describing symptoms accurately. While a small trial involving an experimental antibody drug showed promising results for children, it's difficult to extrapolate these findings to the broader population. Doctors Without Borders and other organizations are urging pharmaceutical companies and funding bodies to prioritize pediatric research, emphasizing that children cannot simply be treated as smaller adults. Their metabolisms, reactions to medications, and pharmacokinetics differ significantly from those of adults.",
  "summary": "In the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, children are more likely to die than adults. But it's not always due to the disease. Specific medicines for younger people are often harder to come by.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "DW News",
        "title": "Ebola: Why children are last to be treated in medical crises",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/ebola-why-children-are-last-to-be-treated-in-medical-crises-5924716",
        "published": "2026-09-06T06:13:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}