Children bear brunt of DRC’s Ebola outbreak

Nima Nyaloka survived Ebola. Now she helps take care of children isolated from their parents who are being treated for it. UNICEF is operating 12 other nurseries like this one. It's estimated more than 1,900 children have been orphaned or separated from their caregivers because of Ebola. They have children that are completely orphans, so they lost both parents. The epidemic has spread to at least seven provinces in the DRC. More than 9,000 cases have been confirmed, while deaths have surpassed 4,300. And one quarter of those deaths are children. 61% of the children who died of Ebola are under the age of five. Children in the region already face high levels of malnutrition and displacement due to ongoing armed conflict. Since schools reopened, attendance has dropped as many parents keep their kids home out of fear of getting sick. They're also avoiding seeking treatment for other health issues. Children aren't only dying of Ebola. We are seeing a drop in the number of families and children visiting health centers, and children die of malaria and dysentery and respiratory diseases. Pregnant women are also avoiding clinics and missing prenatal care and choosing to deliver their babies at home. The UN says compared to last year, maternal deaths have nearly doubled and most deaths from Ebola are happening outside of treatment centres. They're dying at home, which represents a huge opportunity for more transmission because they're being cared for by their family, their community members. There is no approved treatment or vaccine for this rare strain of Ebola, although clinical trials are underway. Aid groups say while more funding is badly needed, so is building trust and education. There's a lot of fear about the disease. There's a lot of mistrust about the response in general. It's another battle health care workers on the ground are fighting as they desperately try to save lives. Tashauna Reid, CBC News, Toronto.