As the latest Ebola outbreak ravages the northern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, healthcare workers have found it difficult to treat locals, especially vulnerable women and children, due to regional fighting.
The virus runs rampant in the country's North Kivu Province, where 142 cases -- 111 confirmed and 31 probable -- have been reported so far, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Females account for more than half of the cases.
The province is considered one of the most unstable in the region. About 20 armed rebel groups are active there, WHO official Peter Salama told NPR, making it difficult for health workers to safely reach those locations to treat infected individuals and the people they've come into contact with.
Salama notes that the first confirmed case of Ebola in a conflict zone was that of a doctor's wife in the provincial town of Oicha. A WHO team had to travel with armed UN peacekeepers just to get to the area, but being perceived as part of a fighting force can pose great danger to health authorities.
Conflict isn't only hindering access for health workers, but also deterring residents in those areas from seeking medical care. In the town of Mangina, the epicenter of the latest outbreak, pregnant women and girls are staying away from clinics for fear of catching Ebola, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency.
Disproportionately affected
The agency says that about 60 percent of those infected are females. The high rate is partly because they may be exposed to situations with a greater risk of catching the disease, as women traditionally take care of the sick or are subject to gender-based violence such as sexual abuse.
Children in the area are also dealing with the devastating effects of Ebola, as many have either contracted the virus or lost family members to the disease.
Both UNFPA and UNICEF have tried to raise community awareness about disease prevention through methods such as handing out educational pamphlets and teaching local residents to wash their hands to avoid getting sick.
Though health authorities are monitoring cross-border travel to prevent the disease from migrating to neighboring regions, no countries have yet implemented travel restrictions to the DRC, according to the WHO.
The previous outbreak raged in the western part of the country back in May.
(Cover image: This file photo taken on August 19 shows a young Congolese girl standing during a church service in Mangina, North Kivu Province. Many children are not attending school because their parents fear they will be infected in class. /VCG Photo)