MSF urges inclusion of children in DR Congo Ebola research

MSF urges inclusion of children in DR Congo Ebola research

MSF warned that children were being left behind in research on new vaccines and therapies against the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, for which no vaccine or treatment has yet been specifically approved, although clinical trials are underway.

Children are disproportionately affected by the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and must be included in ongoing and future studies, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned Thursday.

In a press release, MSF said children have been particularly hard hit in North Kivu and Ituri, the two worst-affected provinces in northeastern DRC.

In North Kivu, children under five account for 24 per cent of confirmed cases, nearly twice the 13 per cent recorded in Ituri, data from Epicentre, MSF's epidemiological research centre, showed.

MSF warned that inadequate infection prevention measures in general healthcare facilities may be exposing children to the virus while they seek treatment for other illnesses.

"General health facilities often lack the specialised expertise, equipment, and infection prevention and control measures needed to identify and safely manage suspected cases," said Stephanie Hoffmann, project coordinator for MSF in Butembo of North Kivu, in the press release.

The DRC had recorded 9,144 confirmed cases, including 4,410 deaths, as of Oct. 12, representing a case fatality rate of 48.2 per cent, according to an epidemiological report released Wednesday by the country's health authorities.

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MSF also warned that children were being left behind in research on new vaccines and therapies against the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, for which no vaccine or treatment has yet been specifically approved, although clinical trials are underway.

MSF urged that children be included in clinical research from the outset and given equitable access to promising medical interventions, warning that delays could further worsen outcomes among the outbreak's most vulnerable patients.

Declared on May 15, the outbreak is the deadliest ever recorded in the DRC and the second-largest Ebola outbreak worldwide, after the epidemic that struck West Africa between 2014 and 2016.