3 Million Children at Risk as Ebola Cases Top 1,000 in DRC
UNICEF amplified its call for accelerated action to contain the outbreak of deadly Ebola virus disease in Central Africa and to increase protection and access to care in affected communities.
As Ebola cases topped 1,000 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo this week, UNICEF warned that some 3 million children and adolescents remained vulnerable — to the disease itself and to the loss of essential social services.
UNICEF and partners are on the ground in eastern DRC, working to contain the spread of disease within affected communities and beyond, while also helping to sustain critical systems to protect children from the fallout of an outbreak that is only compounding existing vulnerabilities fueled by years of conflict and displacement in the region.
"Hospitals and clinics are often short on supplies," said Dr. Douglas Noble, UNICEF Global Lead for Public Health Emergencies and Global Incident Manager for Ebola. "People are constantly on the move — fleeing violence, following mining routes, seeking services — which makes surveillance and response especially difficult."
In Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, more than half of children under age 5 are chronically malnourished. More than 1 in 5 are zero-dose children, meaning they have never received a single vaccine. "The capacity to absorb any additional stressors was already stretched to the breaking point — then Ebola arrived," Noble said.
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak, linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain, a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, 2026. As of June 22, there were 1,094 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease in DRC, with 277 confirmed deaths. In Uganda, there were 20 confirmed cases as of June 23, with two confirmed deaths, according to WHO.
Actual figures could be higher. While testing capacity has been improving, surveillance and contact tracing capacities remain constrained by insecurity, access restrictions and other factors, UNICEF reported.
Related: The Race to Save Lives: UNICEF Ramps up Ebola Response
As in Past Ebola outbreaks in the region, the youngest face the highest fatality rates, with children and adolescents almost twice as likely to die from the disease as adults. So far children represent around 15 percent of the confirmed cases, yet account for over 25 percent of confirmed deaths. So far 135 children have been left orphaned.
There are other risks driven by fear. “During my recent visit to Rwampara Hospital in Bunia, at the epicenter of the outbreak, health workers told me people had stopped coming in for routine care because they were afraid," Noble said. "But when families stop seeking care, children miss vaccinations and illnesses go untreated, and the outbreak starts costing lives it never directly touched."
Recovering from Ebola is possible, with early detection and intervention. Mireille Kahindo and her 16-month-old son Miki both recovered after becoming infected upon receiving medical care and psychosocial support at the Rwampara Ebola Treatment Center. UNICEF and partners are supporting service providers and service delivery at Rwampara and other treatment centers across Ituri, where the outbreak continues to affect many communities.
"From the beginning, I was put on preventive treatment including rehydration, antibiotics, vitamins and zinc," Kahindo said. "I only experienced a few headaches and occasionally diarrhea, but nothing very severe, thank God."
Several other patients who came in during her stay at the center did not make it. "It was stressful, seeing bodies being taken out, others arriving in critical condition."
Learn more about Ebola and UNICEF outbreak response
As part of its emergency response, UNICEF is providing support to children left orphaned by the outbreak, including helping to find alternative care arrangements. A nursery has opened to provide care for infants and young children while their parents and caregivers receive treatment for Ebola, and two more nurseries are expected to open soon.
Other outbreak response efforts are well underway as part of a six-month plan that includes infection prevention and control measures and public information campaigns to counter misinformation and to encourage lifesaving practices like regular handwashing.
"Preparedness, infection prevention and control and building community understanding and trust are our frontline tools," Noble said. “And that trust cannot be taken for granted." A recent UNICEF U-Report survey of 50,000 young people in the DRC found that two-thirds were not aware how Ebola spreads or how to protect themselves.
Supporting community engagement to stop Ebola
UNICEF and partners are also supporting efforts to ensure continued access to routine health care, including immunization, nutrition, water and sanitation, child protection and other critical services that were already under strain even before the current emergency.
Children in Ituri were already facing multiple risks to their health and safety before the outbreak. More than half of all children under age 5 are chronically malnourished. Immunization rates are low, leaving children at risk of preventable diseases.
These conditions make Ebola especially risky, as early symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses such as malaria and delay detection, increasing risks of contagion. Malnutrition also leaves children more susceptible to disease overall.
Infectious disease outbreaks also tend to increase the risk of violence, including sexual violence, against women and girls.
To help strengthen the government-led Ebola response in eastern DRC, UNICEF and partners have deployed strategic field missions to three outbreak hotspots in Ituri — Mongwalu, Beni and Butembo — to reinforce diagnostic capacity, safe patient care, rapid case detection, risk communication and community engagement.
Within affected districts in the DRC,1,000 community health workers and mobilisers have been trained, already reaching over 160,000 households with Ebola prevention messages. In Bunia and Rwampara, 75 decontaminations and 57 safe and dignified burials have been carried out by teams directly supported by UNICEF and partners.
Read UNICEF's latest flash update on the Ebola outbreak and response
In Uganda, where the outbreak remains confined to imported cases and primary contacts (drivers and health workers), UNICEF has reached 122,979 people with Ebola prevention messages and is supporting 19 children currently under the 21-day quarantine monitoring period.
To date, UNICEF has procured more than $3.3 million in supplies for the response in DRC, Uganda, and readiness at neighboring at-risk countries.
The multi-partner response plan is projected to cost $70 million and targets 3.7 million people. UNICEF is appealing for support to close the current funding gap of $20 million.
"We can spare children the worst of it," Noble said. "Fast detection, strong pediatric care, monitoring of contacts and communities that are informed and engaged can help us bring this outbreak under control."
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