Maternal deaths in Congo's eastern Ituri province have nearly doubled during the Ebola outbreak as fear and misinformation keep pregnant women away from hospitals, according to United Nations Population Fund data reported by the Associated Press on Monday. The weekly average rose from 3.1 deaths before the outbreak to 5.8 between May 25 and July 19, creating a second health crisis alongside the epidemic.
Deaths outside medical facilities also increased from 9.1% to 17.4% over that period, UNFPA data showed. Noemi Dalmonte, the agency's deputy representative in Congo, said rumors about Ebola have intensified the reluctance to seek care. Some women fear that an ordinary fever will lead to immediate isolation, although that belief does not reflect clinical procedures.
The fall in attendance is visible in Bunia, the Ituri capital and outbreak epicenter. The Bénédicte Clinic previously registered about 60 women a month for prenatal care but now sees roughly 10, according to its medical director, Dr. Sonny Mwembo. Delayed checkups can leave dangerous pregnancy and childbirth complications undetected until emergency treatment is less likely to succeed.
The Ebola response is simultaneously consuming limited staff and supplies across five affected provinces. Aid groups said facilities are redirecting resources from essential maternity services, while at least 44 infected health workers have died and other workers have protested unpaid wages. Authorities have also recorded at least 12 attacks on health facilities and response teams since the outbreak began in May, further weakening public confidence and access.
Congo already had one of the world's heaviest maternal mortality burdens before the outbreak. At least 19,000 women died from pregnancy complications there in 2023, according to the latest United Nations figures, tying Congo with India and placing it behind only Nigeria. Across sub-Saharan Africa, about 180,000 pregnancy-related deaths occur annually, representing roughly 70% of the global total.
The Bundibugyo form of Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials and has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, according to the World Health Organization. CDC clinical guidance says infected pregnant women face increased risks including miscarriage. Health officials stress that accurate community information, safer facilities, protective equipment and uninterrupted maternity care are essential so women do not die from treatable complications while trying to avoid the virus.
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