Maternal mortality has doubled in Ituri province as pregnant women avoid hospitals during the Democratic Republic of Congo’s largest Ebola outbreak on record. Fear of quarantine, misinformation, and attacks on medical facilities have caused prenatal visits to plummet, while a shadow health crisis claims lives outside clinics.
Maternal Deaths Double Across Ituri Province as Expectant Mothers Stay Home
Esther Lutula stopped attending prenatal checkups shortly after public health authorities declared the Ebola outbreak on May 15, according to reporting by the Associated Press. Four months pregnant and caring for four children at her home in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, the 26-year-old feared being placed into isolation simply for running a fever—a widespread misconception across the region.
That hesitation carries severe risks. Maternal mortality across Ituri has doubled since news of the virus spread, with childbirth complications killing an average of about six women per week, according to data from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Before the outbreak, the region averaged 3.1 maternal deaths weekly. UNFPA figures show that number jumped to 5.8 deaths per week between May 25 and July 19, while deaths occurring outside health centers increased from 9.1% to 17.4% over the same period.
The Democratic Republic of Congo already ranks among the most dangerous places globally to give birth. Women in the country average nearly six children, and the nation recorded at least 19,000 pregnancy-related deaths in 2023, placing it second only to Nigeria worldwide, according to United Nations data.
Outbreak Scale and Surging Transmission Rates in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The current public health emergency involves the Bundibugyo virus disease, marking the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country. It surpasses the 2018–2020 outbreak that resulted in 3,317 confirmed cases, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures. As of July 30, 2026, cumulative totals reached 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo alone, reflecting a crude case fatality ratio of 44%.
Transmission has accelerated at an unprecedented pace. During the epidemiological week ending July 30, health officials recorded 567 new cases and 296 deaths, the highest weekly totals of the outbreak.
While neighboring Uganda declared an end to its localized outbreak on July 28 following 42 days without a new case, the WHO noted that Uganda remains vulnerable to cross-border transmission due to ongoing movement toward the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Misinformation, Clinic Attacks, and Healthcare Strain Compel Avoidance
Public mistrust and fear of mandatory quarantine continue to keep patients away from established medical facilities.
At the Bénédicte Clinic in Bunia, monthly registrations for prenatal care plummeted from 60 to approximately 10, according to Dr. Sonny Mwembo, the medical director. Healthcare facilities across the five affected provinces have redirected staff and supplies toward the outbreak response, degrading access to essential maternal services. At least 44 infected health workers have died, and others have launched strikes protesting unpaid wages.
Violence has further destabilized the medical response. Ebola treatment centers have been attacked by residents fueled by misinformation or anger over strict outbreak measures.