WHO Steps Up Ebola Response, Prioritises Vaccine Testing Amid Outbreak

WHO Steps Up Ebola Response, Prioritises Vaccine Testing Amid Outbreak

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has intensified global efforts to contain the ongoing outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus, convening top scientific and advisory groups to urgently evaluate experimental vaccines and therapeutics as cases continue to emerge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with additional cross-border infections reported in Uganda.

The latest outbreak has raised fresh concerns among international health authorities because the Bundibugyo ebolavirus is one of the less common species of Ebola virus, and currently has no licensed vaccine or approved therapeutic treatment, unlike the more common Zaire ebolavirus for which approved countermeasures exist.

In a statement released after a high-level emergency consultation, WHO said its expert advisory groups concluded that all promising medical countermeasures for Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) should only be deployed within carefully designed clinical trials to ensure scientific evidence generation while maintaining strict safety and ethical standards. (who.int)

The organisation disclosed that the review involved its R&D Blueprint Technical Advisory Group, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE), and WHO’s Ebola Vaccine Working Group, which assessed all available vaccine and treatment candidates for immediate deployment feasibility.

WHO said the current outbreak underscores a major research gap in global preparedness for non-Zaire Ebola strains, particularly the Bundibugyo species, which caused significant outbreaks in Uganda in 2007 and the DRC in 2012, with fatality rates ranging between 25 and 50 per cent, according to historical outbreak data. (cdc.gov)

READ ALSO:

• Power Generation Drops by 20% as Nigerians Face Fresh Electricity Supply Woes
• Official, Black Market Dollar Rates Narrow as Naira Holds Ground
• Tinubu Deepfake: Presidency Alleges Coordinated Plot to Divide Nigerians

For treatment of confirmed infections, independent experts prioritised three investigational therapeutics for immediate clinical trial evaluation.

These include the monoclonal antibody MBP134, Maftivimab®, and the antiviral drug remdesivir, all of which have shown potential antiviral activity against filoviruses in preclinical and limited clinical settings.

The advisory groups also endorsed testing combination therapy involving a monoclonal antibody and remdesivir to determine whether combined treatment could improve survival outcomes.

WHO stressed that none of these interventions should be administered outside structured clinical protocols.

For post-exposure prophylaxis among individuals who have had direct contact with confirmed or probable cases, experts identified the oral antiviral obeldesivir as a priority candidate.

The strategy involves rapidly administering oral tablets to exposed contacts to assess whether infection can be prevented before symptom onset.

However, WHO warned that this approach depends heavily on rapid case detection and effective contact tracing, both of which remain operational challenges in some affected communities due to security concerns and difficult terrain.

On vaccines, WHO identified the single-dose rVSV Bundibugyo vaccine, developed by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), as the most promising candidate for future trial deployment.

The vaccine is estimated to require seven to nine months before becoming trial-ready.

A second candidate, ChAdOx1 Bundibugyo, developed by the University of Oxford in collaboration with the Serum Institute of India, could be available for efficacy trials within two to three months, pending additional animal safety and immunogenicity data.

Experts said a single-dose vaccination strategy could be suitable for immediate ring vaccination of contacts of infected persons, while a two-dose regimen may be more appropriate for frontline health workers and other high-risk responders.

The panels also reviewed Ervebo, currently the world’s only licensed Ebola vaccine.

Although Ervebo has proven highly effective against Zaire ebolavirus, WHO said there is currently no conclusive evidence that it offers protection against the Bundibugyo strain.

As a result, the organisation advised that Ervebo should not be used outside rigorously controlled research settings specifically designed to evaluate possible cross-protection.

WHO said it is collaborating closely with the governments of the DRC and Uganda, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis (ANRS), and other global partners to fast-track ethical clinical trial protocols.

The organisation emphasised that all research activities must meet the highest international ethical standards, with affected communities actively involved in decision-making and national authorities maintaining oversight.

WHO also called for accelerated deployment of essential laboratory supplies, stronger surveillance systems, enhanced community engagement, and coordinated international funding to support rapid evaluation of Bundibugyo-specific countermeasures.

Despite the accelerated research push, WHO reiterated that the immediate priority remains containing transmission through established Ebola control measures, including rapid diagnosis, case isolation, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, community education, safe burials, and intensive surveillance.

Health officials warned that while scientific progress offers hope, effective outbreak containment will depend primarily on swift public health action and strong regional cooperation.

 

WHO Steps Up Ebola Response, Prioritises Vaccine Testing Amid Outbreak