‘Ebola takes the lives of the children on whom it depends’: UNICEF

This latest news comes as neighboring Kenya confirmed its first case and death from the disease, which is believed to have originated in Congo.

“Ebola taking the people the children depend on and unraveling their lives,” said Halimatou Amadou, UNICEF Head of Communications in Congo, speaking to journalists in Geneva.

“A parent gets sick, a child may be exposed, a parent is hospitalized or dies. At a time when a child needs someone most, fear and stigma can alienate relatives and neighbors.”

Nearly 2,000 children were affected

More than 1,900 boys and girls have lost one or both parents, or their caregivers, since the outbreak was declared in May, or have been separated from them.

Most of these children, 1,581, are in North Kivu province, which is the center of the crisis. Another 322 are in the neighboring province of North Kivu.

“And these are the kids we know because these figures only cover areas where UNICEF works with social affairs teams in the affected provinces,” he said.

Fighter and survivor

Amadou’s mother put names behind the numbers, such as Lina*, a seven-month-old baby girl she met at a UNICEF-supported kindergarten next to an Ebola treatment center in Bunia, Ituri’s capital.

Lina’s mother died and her father disappeared. His grandfather, who lives nearby, has visited twice and hopes they can be together soon.

Another child, Raphael*, just eight months old, survived Ebola but lost eight members of his family. He stayed in day care for more than three weeks until his older brother could take him home.

A young life is lost

“Children not only lost their parents. They also lost their own lives,” said Ms. Amadou.

As of September 29, at least 2,017 children had been confirmed to have Ebola in Congo. At least 1,062 people have died.

He noted that children account for one in four confirmed cases, but about one in three deaths. However, the situation is worse among toddlers as the death rate reached seven in 10 children, up from six in 10 a few weeks ago.

“Many died before the virus was detected, before they received treatment,” he said.

Care and access

While in Bunia, Ms. Amadou “also saw what was working” for young people affected by Ebola.

UNICEF is supporting 12 daycares in Ituri and North Kivyu that care for babies and young children who have been exposed to the virus, or whose parents are in care, or alone.

“Children are fed, carried, cared for, and also closely monitored so that if symptoms appear, they quickly receive pediatric care,” he said.

UNICEF is calling for a nursery in every Ebola treatment center in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while underscoring the need to maintain essential health services. This way children will receive early detection and rapid referral to Ebola treatment, as well as protection from common childhood diseases.

First case in Kenya

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring the situation in Kenya, which on Tuesday confirmed its first case and death, according to media reports.

Spokesman Christian Lindmeier the case is “most likely imported from Congo” but further information was not available.

He said his colleagues on the ground were working with Kenyan authorities to get more details.

*Names have been changed to protect children’s privacy and identities