4 August 2026
Key points
3,748 cases,
including 1,657 deaths and 708 recoveries, as of 1 August,
according to WHO
While Ebola vaccines exist, trials
for the first ever Bundibugyo species-specific candidate
vaccine began in the UK on 24 July, with a second starting
in Canada this week
Clinical trials of medicine and
treatment options are rolling out in Ituri province, the
restive epicentre of the current outbreak
A new
100-bed treatment centre was inaugurated in Bunia, capital
of Ituri
Searching for solutions
Compared to
previous Ebola outbreaks, trials started more quickly this
time as protocols had been written before the current one
was declared in DRC in mid-May, said Vasee Moorthy, acting
lead of WHO’s R&D Blueprint, a global platform for
research and development collaboration to respond to
epidemics and pandemics.
Despite ongoing efforts,
there are still no proven safe and efficacious treatment,
preventive or vaccination options for the Bundibugyo species
of the Ebola virus, Dr. Moorthy told reporters in
Geneva.
However, it would likely still be several
months before more definite conclusions could be drawn from
the ongoing trials, he said.
Vaccine trials
A
vaccine trial in the United Kingdom entered phase one on 24
July, with another to begin in Canada in coming days, Dr.
Moorthy said.
Both trials are being conducted on
ferrets and monkeys, after which results would be analysed
by WHO before deciding on whether to move to the subsequent
phase.
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New data has also emerged in animal studies on
the licensed vaccine Ervebo, targeting a different Ebola
strain, according to WHO.
The UN health agency’s
technical advisory group convened last Friday and is
expected to publish recommendations later this
week.
New clinical trials
A clinical trial of
a potential post-exposure prophylaxis – or preventative
– medicine is underway in Ituri province.
Led by the
DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research with an
international consortium of research and outbreak-response
partners, the trial has enrolled over 25 patients to
evaluate whether an oral medicine given for 10 days to
confirmed high risk contacts could prevent onset of
disease.
Since the outbreak was declared, three
testing sites have opened in Ituri province and a fourth is
set to open later this week where patients can enrol in
trials and be monitored in safe conditions to see if the
medicines are effective, Dr. Moorthy said.
“We are
trying to ramp up the enrolment,” he said. “Because
they’re a clinical trial, we have to have safe, monitoring
of the people that are enrolled in the trial. And that does
take time to have more and more teams and more sites
enrolling.”
What’s the UN doing?
Here is a
look at some ongoing Ebola response initiatives:
The
UN refugee agency, UNHCR, is supporting screening, infection
prevention, risk communication and provision of essential
hygiene items
At the DRC-Uganda border, a mobile lab
supported by WHO and the World Food Programme (WFP) delivers
Ebola test results in around one hour, cutting delays and
bringing lifesaving diagnostics closer to more than 94,000
people
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) operates
nurseries for youngsters of Ebola-affected
families
The MONUSCO peacekeeping mission in DRC
protects civilians, conducts information campaigns for local
communities and has increased presence around medical
facilities to support WHO teams and partners (check out our
interview with the current force commander here or right
below)
UN aid coordination office OCHA is releasing up
to $60 million to support response and preparedness efforts
in DRC and neighboring countries through the UN’s Global
Emergency Fund,
CERF.
