Ebola in DR Congo: nearly 70% of infected children die
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Bénin Web TV, Beto and Mediacongo
Nearly seven in ten infected children under five die from Ebola in DR Congo, according to Bénin Web TV. Six months into the outbreak, eight Congolese provinces remain affected, and the youngest children are among those most exposed.
According to UNICEF, 2,959 children under 18 had tested positive for the virus as of 4 November, of whom 1,737 had died. In a publication dated 13 November, the agency states that children account for 28% of confirmed cases but 35% of deaths.
Children under five make up 14% of cases but account for 21% of recorded deaths, and the case fatality rate rises to 72% in that age group. UNICEF sees this as a sign of limited access to specialised care: eight in ten child deaths occur outside dedicated Ebola treatment centres.
Even among those hospitalised, many of these young patients are already in critical condition, and a third of under-fives admitted die less than a day after admission.
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Ebola in DR Congo: the outbreak in figures
As of 12 November 2026 : 11,254 confirmed cases (+451 in 7 days), 5,505 deaths
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