Kinshasa,May 28, (dpa/GNA) – At least one in four confirmed Ebola deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a child, the aid agency Save the Children said on Wednesday. Four of the 17 Ebola patients whose deaths have so far been confirmed in the central African country were children, a spokesman said in a statement.
The true number is likely to be significantly higher, given there have been over 240 deaths in the current wave which are suspected to be due to Ebola. The lack of laboratory capacity in the particularly hard-hit Ituri region means confirming Ebola infections is proving difficult. “I have responded to several Ebola outbreaks over the years, but this is the fastest spread I have ever seen,” said Babou Rukengeza, head of Save the Children’s Ebola emergency response in Congo.
Many countries have cut their aid funding, and Rukengeza believes fatal consequences are being felt on the ground. Rukengeza also said children in the region, which is affected by poverty, armed conflicts and malnutrition, are currently exposed to another risk, adding that deaths from malaria are rising.
The first symptoms of the mosquito-borne disease, such as fever, aching limbs and malaise, resemble those of Ebola. But many people are avoiding health centres out of fear of infection. Maintaining obstetric care in the midst of the Ebola outbreak is also challenging, experts say.
UN Women, which champions gender equality and female rights, recently pointed out that the share of women and girls among those affected in previous Ebola outbreaks had been disproportionately high.
GNA