6 months into DRC’s Ebola outbreak, women and girls face increasing maternal deaths and violence

Donors must fund GBV services, mental health support, child protection and maternal health care as a core part of the Ebola response, and keep funding them after the outbreak ends.

Cases and health response

Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, November 13, 2026 — Six months into the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), women and teenage girls face growing risks to their health and safety, the (IRC) said today.

Many women and girls are avoiding seeking critical health care, facing a growing risk of violence and losing the family support they depend on.

In the past six months, IRC protection teams have supported more than 1,000 people with protection needs in Ituri province, including 194 survivors of gender-based violence (GBV).

Almost 200 pregnant girls aged 13 to 19, including 184 girls under 18 and seven girls under 15 received group psychotherapy.

During the period of 19–23 October, IRC teams collected 84 rumours, including that people who go to treatment centers "do not come out" keep women away from clinics, for services such as postnatal care, and many turn to self-medication instead.

Women are farming less in groups, which used to protect them from violence. Many feel unsafe working alone, deepening hunger and food insecurity.

All of this is unfolding in a region marked by years of conflict, displacement and rising living costs.