Ituri: 16-month-old baby recovers from Ebola and returns home

Rwampara, June 16^th, 2026 (CPA). – A 16-month-old baby who had contracted Ebola virus disease left the Rwampara Ebola Treatment Centre, near Bunia in Ituri Province, the epicentre of the ongoing outbreak in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Tuesday after being declared fully recovered, CPA observed. Little Mickey Paul returned home with his mother, a medical doctor, who had also contracted the disease before recovering following treatment. “My son was hospitalized after suffering from fever, diarrhoea and vomiting for quite some time. We were first admitted to a clinic at the beginning of May. After his condition improved, we returned home, but the symptoms reappeared,” the child’s mother, Mireille Kayindo, told CPA. “At one point, he started bleeding from the mouth. I immediately contacted the health zone authorities. Samples were taken and we were transferred to the Ebola Treatment Centre. Today, thank God, my child has recovered and is doing well. I have no words to express my joy,” she added. This recovery, the first recorded in a child since the beginning of the current Ebola outbreak in Ituri, represents a source of hope for families affected by the disease and for the response teams working to contain the epidemic. Health authorities hope that this positive outcome will encourage people who remain reluctant to undergo screening or seek treatment at Ebola care facilities. The Rwampara Health Zone remains at the center of the Ebola response in Ituri. It has recently faced acts of vandalism targeting some health infrastructures as well as the escape of several patients, who were subsequently traced and returned by medical teams.ACP