A heartbreaking Ebola outbreak at a church-run orphanage in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed the life of a newborn baby and left health workers battling to prevent further infections among dozens of vulnerable children.
The infant, known as Buswaza, was brought to the orphanage in the city of Bunia after her mother died in late May. Staff quickly noticed that the newborn was suffering from a fever and rushed to provide care.
Within days, the baby died.
Medical tests later confirmed that Buswaza had contracted Ebola, making her one of the youngest victims of an outbreak that has already infected nearly 600 people and killed at least 115 across the country.
Following her death, health officials identified six other babies at the orphanage as suspected Ebola cases. The children were transferred to an isolation facility at the Evangelical Medical Centre in Bunia, where emergency testing and treatment began immediately.
Five of the babies later tested negative and were discharged from isolation, bringing relief to the orphanage’s staff and caregivers.
However, one infant remains critically ill.
The child, an orphaned baby girl known affectionately as “Cherie,” is one of a set of triplets and has tested positive for Ebola. Medical officials say her condition has worsened and she remains under intensive care.
Doctors are closely monitoring her as specialists work to stabilize her condition.
The outbreak has also spread beyond the children. Three caregivers who looked after Buswaza, including a nun from the orphanage, have tested positive for the virus.
The sisters who run the orphanage say the emotional toll has been devastating.
Congolese nuns receive children cleared off Ebola from Saint Nicholas Orphanage, at the Centre Medical Evangelique (CME) within the secured Ebola response zone, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain, in Hoho commune of Bunia town, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, June 9, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere
“We are nuns but we are also humans and it has been very emotional,” one sister said.
Health experts warn that children are particularly vulnerable during Ebola outbreaks because the virus spreads through bodily fluids including saliva, vomit, blood and faeces. Caring for sick infants can significantly increase the risk of transmission.
Medical experts believe Buswaza may have contracted the virus from her mother either during pregnancy, childbirth or through breastfeeding. Ebola has previously been detected in amniotic fluid, placental tissue and breast milk.
The outbreak is occurring in a region already facing severe humanitarian challenges. Bunia and the wider Ituri province have been affected by years of armed conflict, displacement, food insecurity and poor healthcare access.
According to UNICEF, approximately 17% of confirmed Ebola infections in the current outbreak involve children. Aid agencies fear that widespread malnutrition and low vaccination coverage could increase the risk of severe illness and death among infected youngsters.
A recent survey found that more than half of children under five in the region suffer from chronic malnutrition, leaving many with weakened immune systems.
Buswaza was buried in a sealed protective body bag under strict Ebola safety protocols designed to prevent further transmission of the virus. Humanitarian organisations have deployed specialised burial teams and even stockpiled child-sized body bags as the outbreak continues.
Health workers now visit the orphanage every day to monitor children and staff for symptoms, hoping to contain the spread before more lives are lost.
Aid organisations warn that the situation highlights the devastating impact of Ebola on already vulnerable communities, particularly children who have already endured the trauma of conflict, poverty and displacement.
For the children living at the orphanage, which serves as a refuge for many who have lost parents to war and disease, the outbreak has brought yet another tragedy to a community already facing immense hardship.
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