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

What the report says

UNICEF says the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is not only causing deaths among children, but also undermining routine health care in the hardest-hit areas of Ituri province. In a report distributed by AllAfrica and dated August 2026, the agency said service use fell sharply between April and June in outbreak hotspots including Bunia, Mongbwalu, Nizi and Rwampara, as families avoided clinics because of fear of infection and disruptions to care.

According to the figures cited by UNICEF, essential health services dropped by 42% in the main hotspots, while province-wide utilization declined by 13%. Routine childhood vaccinations fell by more than half in those areas, and maternal services were also hit, with fewer facility-based deliveries and fewer first antenatal care visits. The agency said this is worsening the wider health burden in a region where treatable illnesses such as malaria and diarrheal disease remain major threats to children.

UNICEF also said the outbreak has reached a severe stage for young people: by 2 August, it had recorded 743 confirmed child cases and 330 child deaths. The organization described the outbreak as the country’s worst on record and the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak it has seen there. It said it has been working with the DRC health ministry, WHO and Africa CDC on community outreach, infection prevention, and support for health facilities.

To expand that response, UNICEF said it revised its six-month appeal to $113.45 million, with $23.5 million secured so far and a remaining gap of $89.9 million.