An ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has triggered a secondary maternal health crisis. Weekly maternal deaths in Ituri province nearly doubled from 3.1 to 5.8 between May 25 and July 19, 2026, as pregnant women avoided hospitals due to rumors and fear of quarantine. This avoidance has caused out-of-hospital deaths to jump from 9.1% to 17.4%. The crisis is compounded by the diversion of healthcare resources to the epidemic, which has already claimed the lives of 44 health workers.
Maternal mortality surge Ituri
- ▪Maternal deaths occurring outside health centers in Ituri province increased from 9.1% to 17.4% between May 25 and July 19, 2026.
- ▪Weekly maternal deaths in Ituri province rose from an average of 3.1 before the Ebola outbreak to 5.8 between May 25 and July 19, 2026.
Hospital avoidance during outbreak
- ▪Monthly prenatal care registrations at the Bénédicte Clinic in Bunia dropped from approximately 60 patients to around 10 during the Ebola outbreak.
- ▪Pregnant women in eastern Congo are avoiding hospitals due to fears of being quarantined or placed in isolation for having a common fever.
Ebola misinformation spread
- ▪At least 12 attacks have been recorded against health facilities and response teams in eastern Congo since the Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15, 2026.
- ▪Ebola treatment centers in eastern Congo have been attacked by residents fueled by misinformation or anger over strict outbreak measures.
Healthcare resource diversion
- ▪Health facilities in five affected provinces of Congo are redirecting staff and supplies to the Ebola response, reducing access to essential maternal care.
- ▪At least 44 infected health workers have died during the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Women's heightened exposure risk
- ▪Women in eastern Congo face heightened exposure to Ebola because they are usually the primary caregivers when family members become ill.
- ▪The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clinical guidance indicates that pregnant women with Ebola are at an increased risk of miscarriage.
Congo maternal health crisis
- ▪At least 19,000 women died from pregnancy complications in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023, tying with India and second only to Nigeria globally.
- ▪Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo have almost six children on average, making it one of the world's most dangerous places to give birth.
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