{"id":2284,"date":"2026-08-03T08:07:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T08:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2284"},"modified":"2026-08-03T08:07:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T08:07:34","slug":"more-pregnant-women-are-dying-in-congo-as-they-avoid-hospitals-over-ebola","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2284","title":{"rendered":"More pregnant women are dying in Congo as they avoid hospitals over Ebola"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

BUNIA, Congo (AP) \u2014 Esther Lutula stopped going for prenatal checkups shortly after the current Ebola outbreak<\/span> was declared in eastern Congo. Midway into her pregnancy, the 26-year-old feared being put into isolation simply for having a fever, a common misconception.<\/p>\n

Read more Number of people missing unknown after Indonesian ferry fire that killed 5, rescuers say<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m waiting until the disease is no longer widespread,\u201d she told The Associated Press from her home in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province and epicenter of the outbreak declared on May 15.<\/p>\n

But that could be a deadly mistake.<\/p>\n

Maternal mortality across Ituri soon doubled as news of the outbreak spread, with an average of about six women dying per week due to childbirth complication, according to Noemi Dalmonte, deputy country representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Congo.<\/p>\n

While there was an average of 3.1 maternal deaths weekly this year before the outbreak, that jumped to 5.8 deaths from May 25 to July 19. Among those, the deaths outside health centers have also jumped from 9.1% to 17.4% within the same period, UNFPA data shows.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

___<\/p>\n

This is part of a series on maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa<\/span>, which has the world\u2019s fastest-growing population and accounts for 70% of global maternal deaths. Around 180,000 pregnancy deaths are recorded every year across the continent.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

As Congo battles the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, with more than 1,600 confirmed deaths, health and aid workers are warning of a shadow crisis as pregnant women avoid hospitals and the country\u2019s already high maternal mortality rate climbs even more.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s common for Africans to avoid health centers during public health emergencies because of safety concerns, \u201cwith Ebola, it is stronger because Ebola has a lot of rumors,\u201d Dalmonte said in an interview.<\/p>\n

With some wary residents questioning whether Ebola even exists, and health workers in one of Congo\u2019s most remote and volatile regions struggling to respond to the outbreak with few supplies, pregnant women have less care than ever.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Congo is one of the world\u2019s most dangerous places to give birth<\/h2>\n

Congo\u2019s has among the world\u2019s highest rates of both childbirths per woman and deaths around childbirth.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n