Aid agencies call for children-focused Ebola response

Global humanitarian groups are urging governments and partners to place children at the center of the response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, warning that conflict, malnutrition and fragile healthcare systems are putting young people at heightened risk.

Organizations including UNICEF and Save the Children say the impact of the outbreak extends far beyond infection, with disruptions to healthcare, nutrition, education and protection services threatening to deepen vulnerabilities among children living in communities already grappling with years of violence, displacement and weak public services.

The DR Congo has reported more than 1,000 confirmed cases, including 267 deaths, with an overall case fatality rate of 25 percent, according to its Health Ministry.

Authorities say surveillance, community outreach, case management and laboratory capacity are being strengthened to contain the outbreak.

The World Health Organization warned that the true scale of the outbreak could be larger than current figures suggest, as new cases continue to emerge in new health zones.

The concerns come amid media reports of Ebola cases at a church-run orphanage in Bunia, Ituri Province, the epicenter of the outbreak. Two infants reportedly died after contracting Ebola, and several caregivers also tested positive. Health teams now visit the orphanage daily to monitor the remaining children and staff members.

For UNICEF, the deaths underscore how quickly Ebola can spread among children living in humanitarian settings where poverty, displacement and weak healthcare systems compound the risks posed by the disease.

Douglas Noble, the agency's global lead for public health emergencies and global incident manager for Ebola, told China Daily that protecting children requires understanding the broader humanitarian context in eastern DR Congo.

"This is a part of the world that has endured decades of conflict. Many children and families have been displaced, health facilities are often short on supplies, and there are not enough trained healthcare workers," Noble said.

According to UNICEF, more than half of children under age 5 in Ituri are chronically malnourished, while more than one in five are classified as "zero-dose" children, meaning they have never received their first routine vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough.

The figures underscore longstanding gaps in healthcare access, leaving many children particularly vulnerable during disease outbreaks.

"Children can deteriorate faster," Noble said. "They become dehydrated more quickly, and if they have underlying malnutrition or weak immunity, they will not do as well as adults."

sharon@chinadailyafrica.com