The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has killed 330 children and is severely disrupting essential health services across the hardest-hit Ituri Province, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday, 6 August. The figures, current as of 2 August, place the DRC's child death toll among the most alarming of any recent Ebola outbreak.

Scale of the Child Crisis

As of 2 August, the DRC had recorded 743 confirmed cases among children aged 17 and under, of which 330 proved fatal, according to UNICEF. The agency noted that while children represent nearly one in four confirmed cases overall, they account for almost one in three deaths — a disproportionate toll that has alarmed public health officials.

Young children under five years of age are particularly vulnerable. UNICEF reported that their case fatality rate is more than double that of adults, underlining the acute biological risk to the youngest patients.

Health System Under Strain

Beyond the direct death toll, the outbreak has triggered a sharp decline in routine childhood immunisation, maternal healthcare, and other essential services. Fear of infection and disruptions to health facilities have kept families from seeking care, compounding the crisis.

'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,' said John Agbor, UNICEF representative in the DRC. The warning signals a second-order humanitarian emergency unfolding alongside the outbreak itself.

Outbreak Spreads at Unprecedented Pace

The global medical charity Doctors Without Borders warned on Wednesday that the situation in eastern DRC was 'more critical than ever,' spreading at an alarming and unprecedented pace with 'no sign of slowing down.' As of Tuesday, the DRC had recorded 3,973 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths in total since the outbreak was officially declared on 15 May.

Boat Intercepted Near Kinshasa

In a separate but related development, health authorities intercepted a passenger boat approximately 65 km outside central Kinshasa after a former passenger — who had disembarked in Mongala province — developed symptoms including fever and diarrhoea, and subsequently died. The vessel had travelled from the outbreak-hit Tshopo province.

Health Minister Roger Kamba stressed that the case remained suspected rather than confirmed. 'We are being cautious,' he said. A security and health cordon was established around the vessel while a mobile laboratory tested all passengers and crew, according to government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya.

What Comes Next

With the outbreak showing no signs of abating and spreading toward the capital, containment efforts face mounting logistical and security challenges. The interception near Kinshasa underscores the risk of the virus reaching a densely populated urban centre — a scenario that public health experts have long flagged as the most dangerous escalation possible in any Ebola outbreak.