刚果民主共和国伊图里省的埃博拉疫情正在推高孕产妇死亡率。[1]自5月15日疫情宣布以来，孕妇因害怕感染而避免前往医院，导致产前检查和分娩护理严重受阻。[1]伊图里省孕产妇周平均死亡人数从疫情前的3.1人上升至5.8人，在5月25日至7月19日期间，在医疗机构外死亡的孕产妇比例也从9.1%跃升至17.4%。[1]
布尼亚市贝内迪克特诊所的产前护理登记人数从每月约60人下降至约10人，反映出孕妇就医的大幅下滑。[1]截至报道时，该疫情已造成超过1600例确诊死亡，至少44名医务工作者因感染丧生，并有至少12起针对医疗设施和医疗队的袭击事件被记录。[1]
联合国人口基金驻刚果副代表诺埃米·达尔蒙特指出，孕妇"可能不会死于埃博拉本身，而是因为能救他们生命的护理变得无法获得、不可信或不安全"。[1]刚果面临严峻的孕产妇健康挑战——2023年至少有19000名妇女死于妊娠并发症，全球排名第二，仅次于尼日利亚。[1]
An Ebola outbreak declared in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15 has triggered a sharp rise in pregnant women's deaths, as expectant mothers increasingly avoid seeking medical care due to fear and misconceptions about the virus.[1] The weekly average number of maternal deaths in the province climbed from 3.1 before the outbreak to 5.8 between May 25 and July 19, while the proportion of deaths occurring outside medical facilities jumped from 9.1 percent to 17.4 percent.[1]
The epidemic, which has confirmed over 1,600 deaths to date, has severely disrupted prenatal and delivery services across the region.[1] At a clinic in Bunia, the provincial capital, prenatal care registrations plummeted from approximately 60 patients monthly to roughly 10.[1] The deteriorating conditions have claimed at least 44 healthcare workers' lives and prompted at least 12 documented attacks on medical facilities and teams.[1] According to Noemi Dalmont, United Nations Population Fund deputy representative in Congo, pregnant women face a compounded crisis: "They may not die from Ebola itself, but because the care that could save their lives has become inaccessible, untrustworthy, or unsafe."[1]
The broader public health context underscores the urgency. Congo already ranks second globally for maternal deaths from pregnancy complications, with at least 19,000 women lost in 2023, surpassed only by Nigeria.[1] The current outbreak has intensified this ongoing crisis by driving expectant mothers away from the very healthcare infrastructure needed to prevent and treat obstetric emergencies.