United Nations Population Fund

Pregnant women in Congo are avoiding hospitals due to the Ebola outbreak, leading to a doubling of maternal mortality in Ituri province. UNFPA data shows maternal deaths outside health centers increased from 9.1% to 17.4% between May 25 and July 19, 2026, as fear of isolation and misinformation about Ebola spread.

Senators Lisa Murkowski and Jeanne Shaheen urged the State Department to release $608 million in congressionally-approved family-planning funds and $1.7 million in stored medical supplies to address an Ebola outbreak in East Africa. The lawmakers emphasized the urgency of providing resources to women and infants in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the virus has caused over 3,500 cases and 1,556 deaths.

OCHA reports that women and girls in southern Lebanon face increased risks of gender-based violence and limited access to maternal health services due to Israeli military operations. Over 16,000 pregnant women are among displaced populations, with three hospitals and 36 healthcare centers closed or damaged.

Somalia's Ministry of Youth and Sports and the UNFPA pledged to strengthen cooperation on youth development and women's sports. The UNFPA's newly appointed representative to Somalia, Judicaël Elidje, met with the ministry in Mogadishu to discuss collaboration.

Ukraine is experiencing a rise in premature births and emergency cesarean sections, with some frontline areas reporting nearly double the rate since Russia's 2022 invasion. Experts attribute these complications to the psychological and physical stress caused by the war.

The World Health Organization (WHO) significantly reduced the number of suspected Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from an initial estimate of nearly 1,000. The updated figures were announced at a hybrid press briefing involving WHO representatives and other international organizations.