GENEVA, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Tuesday the current outbreak of Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is infecting more children than previous outbreaks.
UNICEF Geneva spokesperson Marixie Mercado told a UN briefing there that as of July 7, there had been 750 infections among children.
"This represents 31 percent of the total cases, compared with about 20 percent in previous outbreaks," said Mercado.
The UNICEF spokesperson said she returned from the DRC on Sunday, after 10-days in North Kivu and Ituri, the two provinces affected by Ebola.
She noted that children under the age of five are especially hard hit. "Of the 750 cases among children, 40 percent were among under-fives," said Mercado.
They, in turn, are infecting women and among adults, women comprise 57 percent of cases.
"According to the latest data I have, the case fatality ratio for under-fives is 77 percent, compared with 67 percent for all age groups," she said.
Mercado said that preventing infection among children must be at the heart of the overall Ebola response.
"Young children are at higher risk than adults -- which is why they need specialized attention," she said.
"But Ebola also affects children very differently from adults, and the response needs to also factor in their very specific psychological and social needs."
According to latest UN figures, 650 people have died in the current outbreak, while about 12 new cases are reported every day.
