KINSHASA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Children account for about one-third of reported deaths in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), despite representing only around one-fifth of confirmed cases, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Wednesday in its latest situation report.
According to UNICEF, children aged 17 and below account for approximately 21 percent of confirmed cases but 33 percent of reported deaths, pointing to a "concerning upward trend" in the mortality burden among children, calling for continued attention to appropriate pediatric care.
UNICEF warned that treatment services remain under pressure. Service delivery has been affected by delayed referrals, overcrowding, limited critical care and pediatric capacity, resource constraints and gaps in data reporting, according to the agency.
UNICEF said community surveillance and contact tracing still need to be accelerated, calling for stronger early detection, timely referral and pediatric care as transmission continues.
As of Sunday, the DRC had reported 5,021 confirmed cases across 55 health zones in six provinces, with a case fatality rate of 47.4 percent, according to the latest report released by the WHO Regional Office for Africa on Tuesday. ■