DR Congo: DRC’s worst outbreak: 10,000 Ebola cases confirmed as children lose parents, schooling and safety

With some 4,887 deaths since the start of the outbreak, children are becoming sick and dying from the illness, being orphaned, separated from loved ones, and missing critical months of education.

KINSHASA, 27 October 2026 -More than10,000 peoplehave now been infected in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Ebola outbreak, the largest ever recorded in the country's history and the second largest globally, with children paying a devastating price, Save the Children said.

With some4,887 deathssince the start of the outbreak – and a devastating case fatality rate of 48.6% – children are becoming sick and dying from the illness, being orphaned, separated from loved ones, and missing critical months of education.

In the 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the worst ever recorded globally, more than28,600 people were infectedand 11,325 people died, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). More than22,000 childrenalso lost one or both of their parents.

This current outbreak, which was declared on 15 May 2026 in Ituri Province in eastern DRC, has spread from a single health zone to 66 health zones across eight provinces and continues to affect communities already facing conflict, displacement, food insecurity and weakened health services.

More than 1,900 children have also been orphaned or separated from one or both parents or caregivers, Save the Children said, withnearly two children a day,on average, being orphaned, creating devastating risks for their safety and wellbeing.

There is currently no approved vaccine specifically for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain driving the outbreak, making prevention, surveillance, community engagement and access to healthcare critical to slowing transmission, said Save the Children.

More than 2,700 children have been infected since the outbreak began and hundreds have lost their lives, according to the Africa CDC and WHO. Young children remain particularly vulnerable, withchildren under five facingsignificantly higher mortality rates than the overall outbreak average, with a case fatality rate of 72% [1].

Greg Ramm, Save the Children Country Director in the DRC, said:

"The confirmation of more than 10,000 Ebola cases is a stark reminder of the scale of this crisis and the urgent need to strengthen the response before even more lives are lost. Behind this milestone are thousands of families facing unimaginable fear and uncertainty, and children are bearing some of the heaviest consequences.

"This outbreak is unfolding in communities already affected by conflict, displacement and food insecurity. Families are struggling to access healthcare, health facilities are under immense pressure, and many communities lack the resources needed to prevent transmission and keep children safe.

"For children, the risks extend far beyond infection. We are seeing children lose parents and caregivers, miss out on healthcare and education, and face increased protection risks as families' coping mechanisms are stretched to breaking point. The longer this outbreak continues, the greater the impact will be on children's health, wellbeing and futures.

"The absence of a vaccine specifically approved for this strain means there is no room for complacency. We urgently need increased investment in disease surveillance, infection prevention and control, safe isolation and care, community engagement, and support for frontline health workers. At the same time, essential services such as healthcare, nutrition, education and child protection must remain available, so children do not suffer the wider consequences of the outbreak.

"Containing this outbreak remains possible, but it requires rapid, coordinated action. The international community must not look away. Every delay gives the virus further opportunities to spread and places more children at risk."

Save the Children has been responding since the outbreak was first declared in May and has reached nearly 200,000 people, including more than 100,000 children, through Ebola preparedness and response activities in Ituri Province. The organisation is supporting infection prevention and control in health facilities, community awareness and risk communication activities, case detection and referral, and the continuity of essential health, nutrition, education and child protection services.

The child rights organisation is also establishing Observation Care Centres for children who have been exposed to Ebola and cannot safely remain with family members during the observation period. The first centre in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, is expected to open this month and will provide accommodation, health monitoring, nutrition support, psychosocial care, learning and recreational activities for children.

[1] According to the Continental Incident Management Support Team Joint WHO & Africa CDC Response, 26 October 2026: 2,705 aged 0-17 are among the confirmed cases, of which 1345 are children under 5; CFR among children under 5 is 72%.

Based on reporting by RELIEFWEB