5 questions about the maternal mortality crisis amid Congo’s Ebola outbreak

1. What is happening in eastern Congo right now?

Congo is battling the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, declared May 15 in Ituri province, with more than 1,600 confirmed deaths. At the same time, pregnant women across the region are avoiding hospitals and prenatal care out of fear of the virus, causing maternal mortality rates to nearly double.

2. Why has maternal mortality increased so sharply?

According to U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) data, weekly maternal deaths in Ituri rose from an average of 3.1 before the outbreak to 5.8 between May 25 and July 19. Deaths occurring outside health centers also nearly doubled, from 9.1% to 17.4%, as women avoid facilities due to fear of quarantine, misinformation about the disease, and violence at some treatment centers.

3. Who is involved in responding to this crisis?

Key figures include Noemi Dalmonte of the UNFPA in Congo, Dr. Sonny Mwembo of the Benedicte Clinic in Bunia, and Dr. Ghislain Maneba, an epidemiologist in Ituri’s Rwampara health zone. Pregnant women themselves, such as Esther Lutula and Elodie Yabiri, and frontline health workers — many of whom are women and some pregnant — are also central to the story.

4. What comes next for maternal health services in the region?

The outbreak has strained Congo’s healthcare system, with facilities in five affected provinces redirecting staff and supplies toward Ebola response, reducing maternal care access. At least 44 health workers have died, and others have stopped working over unpaid wages, while officials continue efforts to combat misinformation and encourage women to seek care.

5. Why is this significant beyond Congo?

Congo already has one of the world’s highest rates of maternal death, with at least 19,000 women dying from pregnancy complications in 2023—second only to Nigeria globally. The story is part of a broader pattern in sub-Saharan Africa, which has the world’s fastest-growing population and accounts for 70% of global maternal deaths, with about 180,000 pregnancy-related deaths recorded annually across the continent.

For more on this report, read “More pregnant women are dying in Congo as they avoid hospitals over Ebola” from The Associated Press, published on The Washington Times.