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Ebola Fears Force Mothers and Children in Congo to Shun Vital Care
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CNBC TV18•14-10-2026, 15:19
Ebola Fears Force Mothers and Children in Congo to Shun Vital Care
- •Misplaced fear and misinformation regarding the Ebola virus are causing women and children in eastern Congo to avoid healthcare facilities, leading to a sharp rise in maternal deaths and home births.
- •UN figures reveal that maternal deaths in Ituri province surged nearly 70 percent between May and July compared to the previous year.
- •Aid agencies report steep drops in hospital deliveries, obstetric complication treatments, and routine childhood vaccinations such as measles across Ebola hot spots.
- •Fears that medical clinics spread the virus or that health workers will forcibly take patients to Ebola treatment centers have driven many parents to rely on self-medication or traditional healers instead.
- •Public health experts warn that the indirect effects of the epidemic on routine healthcare, nutrition, and child protection could severely strain the healthcare system for years to come.
Key Questions Answered
Fear and misinformation regarding Ebola have caused mothers and children to avoid healthcare facilities, leading to soaring maternal deaths and sharply falling childhood immunization rates in regions like Ituri province.
Many residents believe that medicines provided at health centers contain the Ebola virus or that seeking hospital care will result in their children being killed at treatment centers.
The outbreak has expanded across seven provinces in Congo, infecting thousands of people and presenting severe containment challenges amid regional conflict and aid cuts.
