As global confirmed Ebola cases reach 1,000,
an estimated 2.95 million children and adolescents
aged 18 and under – representing 54 per cent of the
population in 31 affected health zones – are at risk from
Ebola itself and the breakdown of essential services in
eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UNICEF
warned today.
“Our teams in Ituri have met children
who have lost their mothers, and in some cases both parents,
to Ebola,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Children are trying to make sense of the threat while
surrounded by rumors and online
misinformation.”
Although the situation remains
fluid, children and adolescents account for approximately 15
per cent of confirmed Ebola cases and over 25 per cent of
confirmed deaths in eastern DRC as of 19 June. Children and
adolescents with confirmed Ebola are almost twice as likely
to die as adults, highlighting the disproportionate impact
of the outbreak on younger populations.
While testing
capacity has recently improved, surveillance and contact
tracing remain constrained, including by insecurity and
restricted access, leaving current estimates with a degree
of uncertainty.
Ituri Province, particularly the
Mongbwalu, Rwampara, and Bunia health zones, remains the
epicentre, with cases also reported in North Kivu and South
Kivu. In Ituri, 135 children who have been orphaned by the
outbreak are receiving support, including with psychosocial
care, referral to essential social services, and alternative
care arrangements.
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The first nursery has recently
opened with UNICEF support – a safe space providing care
and protection for infants and young children who are
separated from their parents and caregivers while they
receive treatment at an Ebola treatment centre. Two
additional nurseries are expected to open
soon.
Children in Ituri were already vulnerable before
the outbreak. More than half of children under five are
chronically malnourished, and immunization rates are low
with more than one in five never having received a first
dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine.
These conditions make Ebola especially risky, as early
symptoms can mimic other illnesses such as malaria, delaying
detection, while malnutrition heightens
vulnerability.
Beyond infection and loss of parents
and caregivers, children face stigma, and psychosocial
distress. Infectious disease outbreaks also increase the
risk of violence, including sexual violence, against women
and girls. Children may also lose access to the services
they depend on – health care, nutrition, immunisation,
education, water and sanitation, child protection, and
social services. In eastern DRC, these risks are compounded
by years of conflict and mass displacement, which have long
exposed children to violence, exploitation, and other
protection risks.
In Uganda, 20 Ebola cases and two
deaths have been confirmed among individuals who travelled
from the DRC to seek testing and treatment. Children have
also been affected: one child has tested positive, and 19
are under quarantine monitoring.
In DRC and Uganda,
UNICEF is supporting the government and partners, including
WHO and Africa CDC, to contain the outbreak through
infection prevention and control, contact tracing, safe and
dignified burials, and community engagement, including with
young people and community leaders. At the same time, UNICEF
is working to sustain essential services, including health
care, nutrition, immunisation, education, water and
sanitation, and child protection and social
services.
UNICEF is initially seeking US$70.7 million
for its sixmonth response, with US$20 million still
unfunded, as part of the multi-partner Ebola Preparedness
and Response Continental Plan to contain the spread of
disease. UNICEF is also calling for immediate, safe, and
sustained humanitarian access to affected
communities.
“Children are especially vulnerable
because they depend on caregivers and cannot distance
themselves from a sick parent or sibling in the same way
that an adult can. To better protect children, we need
sustained access, and the resources needed to reach every
affected community,” added Russell.
About
UNICEF
UNICEF, the United Nations agency for
children, works to protect the rights of every child,
everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and
in the toughest places to reach. Across more than 190
countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help
children survive, thrive, and fulfil their
potential.
