The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) continues to spread fast, with women and children bearing the brunt of the epidemic, according to the United Nations.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Friday that women and children have been the hardest hit by the epidemic.
According to statistics from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), more than 300 children in the country have died from Ebola since the outbreak began.
UNICEF also said although children account for only about a quarter of confirmed cases, they make up about a third of all deaths.
"The outbreak is unfolding in a province where nearly one million people are displaced, around 80 percent of them women and children. According to the UN Children's Fund, more than 300 children have died from Ebola since the outbreak began. Children make up nearly a quarter of confirmed cases, but almost a third of all deaths," said Farhan Haq, UN deputy spokesman.
Furthermore, the outbreak has severely strained the local healthcare system.
In the hardest-hit areas, the utilization of healthcare services has plummeted in recent months as people fear infection.
The United Nations said that the key to containing the outbreak is to restore community trust in the healthcare system.
Currently, various parties have deployed approximately 13,000 community workers to conduct public health awareness campaigns and have completed more than 500,000 home visits to help raise public awareness, facilitate early detection of cases, and ensure timely medical care.
Ebola outbreak continues to spread in DR Congo, women, children worst hit: UN
Ebola outbreak continues to spread in DR Congo, women, children worst hit: UN
Thai exporters are leveraging this year's China International Import Expo (CIIE) to seek new opportunities in China as innovation and shifting consumer demand reshape how Thailand's traditional agricultural products are grown, produced and brought to market.
For generations, families in Thailand have made a living from coconut palms, harvesting the fruit by hand and shipping it far beyond the orchards where it is grown.
Natthasak Manusrungsri's family has been exporting aromatic coconuts for more than two decades. But growing demand from China has transformed the scale of their business, driving production, expanding exports and inspiring new ways to bring this familiar fruit to consumers.
"Almost every factory that packs fresh coconuts depends on China as its main market, almost entirely. After Thailand received permission to export coconuts to China, volumes kept rising, driven by trends and by customers becoming more knowledgeable and health-conscious," said Natthasak Manusrungsri, managing director of K-Fresh Co.
But as demand grows, so does the pressure to innovate. Generations of agricultural knowledge are meeting a new generation of ideas.
For Thai producers, China offers enormous opportunities, but competition is intensifying. As consumer preferences change, exporters are shifting their focus beyond simply increasing sales to developing innovative products that offer greater convenience and bring more value to an increasingly competitive industry.
That transformation begins long before the coconuts leave the trees. Across a network of plantations, precision agriculture is helping farmers monitor growing conditions, identify problem areas, and improve yields, while maintaining the quality of Thailand's renowned coconuts.
Inside the factory, innovation takes a different form. Even the simple act of opening a coconut has been redesigned. A patented mechanism allows consumers to open it with a push.
"Innovation matters for both the farm and production, so we can deliver the highest quality to our customers. So, we practice precision agriculture. And in the factory, we focus on innovation to make it easier for consumers to open and enjoy, bringing quality products to consumers around the world and in China," said Manusrungsri.
For the farmers who tend these palms, the rhythm of life remains much as it has for generations. But beyond the orchards, almost everything else is changing.
And at CIIE 2026, Thailand's humble coconut is showing how an age-old harvest can find new value in a world of changing tastes and possibilities.
Thai coconut exporter taps CIIE to promote industry innovation
