Epidemic (human)
Details
Event title
Congo DRC - Congo: Maternal deaths nearly double as women avoid hospitals during Ebola outbreak
Source
Main event
Event date (UTC)
2026-08-03 11:07:48
Last update (UTC)
2026-08-15 10:37:23
Severity
High
Area range
Multiple countries wide event
Address/Affected area(s)
Democratic Republlic of Congo and Uganda
More and more women are now dying from childbirth complications in eastern Congo-Kinshasa. One reason is believed to be that they are avoiding health care because of the Ebola outbreak in the country. In the province of Ituri, maternal mortality has almost doubled.
In Ituri, an average of six women per week have died from complications related to childbirth, says Noemi Dalmonte, deputy country representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Before the Ebola outbreak, maternal deaths averaged 3.1 per week this year. But then the number increased to 5.8 deaths per week between May 25 and July 19. The proportion of those who died outside health facilities increased from 9.1 to 17.4 percent during the period.
More than 1,600 people have died so far in the Ebola outbreak that continues in eastern Congo-Kinshasa.