BUNIA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — Essential Healthcare services for children and women have collapsed across eastern Ituri Province as an Ebola outbreak drives families away from health facilities, according to new data released by UNICEF on 6 August 2026.
Between April and June 2026, the use of essential health services dropped by 42 per cent in the primary outbreak hotspots of Bunia, Mongbwalu, Nizi, and Rwampara. Across Ituri Province overall, service utilization declined by an estimated 13 per cent. The figures reflect a combined impact of fear of infection and widespread service disruptions.
“The data suggests that fear of infection, combined with disruptions to services, is deterring lots of children and their families from seeking care,” said John Agbor, UNICEF Representative in the DRC. He cited a doctor in the region who reported that patient volumes at his facility had fallen from an average of 500 per month to almost nothing.
Routine childhood vaccinations fell by more than half across the hotspot areas. In Mongbwalu, the outbreak epicentre, first-dose measles vaccination plummeted by 69 per cent. Province-wide, the third dose of pentavalent vaccine declined by 22 per cent and the second measles dose by 18 per cent. Health facilities administered over 23,000 fewer routine child vaccine doses in May and June compared with April.
Maternal health services were similarly affected. Facility-assisted deliveries fell 13 per cent across the province, with steeper drops of 38 per cent in Bunia, 30 per cent in Rwampara, and 70 per cent in Nizi. First antenatal care visits declined by around 28 per cent in all three hotspots. No comparable seasonal decline was observed during the same period in 2025.
The disruption compounds the direct threat Ebola poses to children. As of 2 August 2026, health authorities had recorded 743 confirmed child cases and 330 child deaths among those aged 0 to 17 years. Children represent nearly one in four confirmed cases but account for almost one in three deaths. Children under five are particularly vulnerable, with a case fatality rate more than double that of adults; over 60 per cent of confirmed cases in this age group result in death, compared with fewer than 30 per cent among adults aged 18 and older. The outbreak is now the worst on record for the country and the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded.
To counteract transmission and restore community confidence, UNICEF and partners — working with the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, and Africa CDC — have trained and deployed around 13,000 frontline community actors and key influencers. They have reached more than 2.4 million people with guidance on Ebola prevention and early detection. Teams have also conducted over 505,000 household visits to build trust, dispel misinformation, and refer suspected cases for care.
UNICEF has supplied infection prevention and control materials to eight Ebola treatment centres and equipped 45 health facilities in Ituri with infection control kits, water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, and entry screening materials. Supply chains for essential medicines, malaria kits, and obstetric supplies have been maintained at priority facilities. Community-based mental health and psychosocial support have reached more than 21,000 people affected by the outbreak, including 5,100 children.
“The Ebola outbreak is severely disrupting the entire health system, with inevitable consequences for cases of malaria, diarrhoea, and other treatable illnesses that are the biggest killers of children,” Agbor said. “Ensuring that health posts remain open, safe, and trusted is essential to saving lives today and preventing future outbreaks tomorrow as we invest in a more resilient health system.”
To sustain and expand interventions from 21 to 51 affected and high-risk health zones, UNICEF has revised its six-month appeal to US$113.45 million. With US$23.5 million mobilized to date, a funding gap of US$89.9 million remains.
