(UNICEF) Warns of Rising Ebola-Related Deaths Among Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Geneva, October 6 (KUNA) -- The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday of a rising child mortality rate due to the Ebola virus outbreak, announcing that at least 2,017 children had been infected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as of September 29, resulting in approximately 1,062 deaths. Halimatu Amadou, head of UNICEF’s communications office in the DRC, said via video link from Bunia during a press conference in Geneva that children account for slightly more than a quarter of confirmed Ebola cases but represent about one-third of Ebola-related deaths. She highlighted the severity of the situation, particularly among younger children, noting that the case fatality rate among children under five rose from six out of ten infected children to seven out of ten within a few weeks. Amadou explained that many children die before their infection is detected or before they reach Ebola treatment centers, and that the outbreak continues to spread in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, which are home to more than four million displaced persons. She noted that UNICEF recorded 1,581 child deaths in Ituri and 322 in North Kivu since the outbreak was declared in May, clarifying that these figures are limited to areas where UNICEF operates in cooperation with provincial social affairs teams. In this context, Amadou called for adequate care for children in treatment centers and urged the provision of more than $113 million to fund UNICEF’s response to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC. (End) A.M.Kh./S.M.A.