Ebola goes after Congo's children, killing seven daily on average, NGO says

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic og Congo is infecting and killing children at a high rate, Save the Children said, adding that about seven children on average have died every day since 15 May when the virus was detected.

About two-thirds of child deaths from Ebola — or 623 fatalities — are among children under five, the charity said, citing figures from Congo's ministry of health.

Since 15 May, at least 2,071 children aged under 18 have contracted Ebola, with 961 of these children — almost one in two of those infected — dying from the disease.

The 61% case fatality rate (CFR) among children aged 0-4 years is also significantly higher than the overall rate for the outbreak which stands at 48%.

The agency called for stronger protection for the youngest children as the outbreak continues to spread across eastern DRC.

The latest figures released by the Health Ministry on Thursday showed that 4,018 people have died among 8,300 cases recorded since the outbreak was declared in eastern Congo on 15 May.