Ebola fears drive pregnant women away from Congo hospitals, doubling maternal deaths

Following the May 15 declaration of an Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo's Ituri province, pregnant women have begun shunning hospitals, worried they will be quarantined for routine fevers. United Nations Population Fund officials note that weekly maternal fatalities have jumped from an average of 3.1 to 5.8, while deaths occurring outside health facilities rose from 9.1% to 17.4% between late May and mid-July. At Bunia's Bénédicte Clinic, prenatal enrolments fell dramatically, from 60 women each month to about 10.

The health system, already strained, is reallocating staff and supplies to combat Ebola, leaving fewer resources for obstetric care. Frequent rumors and attacks on treatment centers have further eroded public trust, prompting women like Elodie Yabiri to stay home until labor. Experts warn that the rise in maternal mortality is a “shadow crisis” linked more to disrupted care than to Ebola infections themselves.