More than 300 children have died from Ebola since the outbreak began in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to figures quoted by UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq on Friday.
Children account for nearly a quarter of confirmed cases and almost a third of all deaths, he said, citing data from the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
The epidemic continues to spread rapidly in the east of the DRC. The total number of cases has now exceeded 4,000, with 1,850 deaths.
The epidemic is also severely disrupting access to basic health care. In the worst-affected areas, use of health services has fallen by more than 40% in recent months as fear of infection keeps people away.
The situation is also affecting pregnant women. According to the United Nations Population Fund, maternal mortality in Ituri has almost doubled since the start of the outbreak, with about six women dying each week from complications related to childbirth. Ebola infection during pregnancy remains associated with almost universal fetal loss.
Meanwhile, the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Vaccine Research has recommended a clinical trial in the DRC to evaluate the Ervebo vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus. Ervebo is the only licensed Ebola vaccine. WHO is working with partners to start the trial as soon as possible.
During a visit earlier this week to Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, WHO called for an urgent scaling up of community-led measures, including stronger early detection and contact tracing, as well as better access to care.
To counter fear and misinformation, the Ministry of Public Health, WHO, the Africa Centers for Disease Control, UNICEF and partners have deployed 13,000 community workers. They have reached over 2.4 million people with information on Ebola prevention and early detection and have conducted over 500,000 household visits.