Bunia – Two babies have died of Ebola at a church-run orphanage in Bunia, a city in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the country’s ongoing outbreak continues to claim lives in one of its most vulnerable communities.
The first to die was a newborn named Buswaza, who was brought to the orphanage after her mother died in late May. Nuns at the facility quickly noticed the infant was running a fever. She died within days, and tests later confirmed she had Ebola. She lived for less than two weeks, making her one of the youngest victims of the outbreak.
After her death, six other babies at the orphanage of 69 children were identified as suspected Ebola cases and taken to hospital. Five of them later tested negative and were discharged from an isolation tent at the Evangelical Medical Centre (CME) on Tuesday by medics in full protective suits. 
“We thank the hospital staff, we are very grateful,” said Sister Clarisse, carrying one of the discharged babies in a pink hooded gown.
However, a sixth baby, an orphan triplet girl nicknamed “Cherie” or “darling,” who was less than a year old and had confirmed Ebola, died on Wednesday.
“The child has left us,” said Dr Freddy Kibwana, head of the CME.
Three of the deceased babies’ carers, including a nun, have tested positive for Ebola. The sisters at the orphanage, which was established by Belgian nuns during the colonial era, are praying for them.
“We are nuns but we are also humans and it has been very emotional,” one sister told Reuters, asking not to be named for fear of being associated with Ebola and stigmatised.
The outbreak has so far infected nearly 600 people and killed at least 115 across Congo. Children account for nearly 17% of confirmed cases in the current outbreak, according to UNICEF, based on preliminary data. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned the outbreak could surpass the devastating 2014 to 2016 West Africa epidemic.
As for how Buswaza contracted the virus, the World Health Organization said Ebola has been detected in amniotic fluid and the placenta, meaning her mother may have transmitted it to her in the womb or during childbirth. If the mother caught the virus after giving birth, she may also have passed it on through breastmilk, where the virus has also been detected.
UNICEF has raised concern that children’s chances of survival could be impacted by pre-existing health conditions in an area marked by high malnutrition levels and low vaccination rates. A 2023 survey in Ituri found a chronic malnutrition rate of 52.1% among children under five. Many of the children at the orphanage are survivors of armed conflict across eastern Congo.
“In this fragile context, children could deteriorate more quickly if they become infected,” said UNICEF’s Douglas Noble, who leads on health emergencies and visited Bunia last month.
Buswaza was buried in late May in a sealed, waterproof body bag to prevent further spread of the disease. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it holds stocks of child-sized body bags to conduct safe and dignified burials in the area.
Health teams now visit the orphanage daily to check on the children and staff.
“This epidemic has hit an area already in humanitarian crisis,” said Babou Rukengeza, a senior health adviser with Save the Children. “This place is the only refuge for these children.”
