Ebola's Shadow Crisis: Pregnant Women Suffer in Silence As Congo battles its fastest growing Ebola outbreak on record, a disturbing trend has emerged: pregnant women are avoiding hospitals and increasing their chances of death from childbirth complications.
Maternal mortality across Ituri province has doubled since the outbreak began, with an average of six women dying per week due to complications related to pregnancy.
The fear of infection is understandable, but it's a misconception that has led many pregnant women to forgo prenatal care and hospital visits.