Africa CDC Seeks Urgent Funding for Ebola Treatment Trials

The appeal follows the launch of clinical trials in Bunia, where researchers have begun evaluating potential treatments for the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for urgent international financial support to keep clinical trials for Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease on track in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), warning that delays could cost lives and increase the risk of the outbreak spreading beyond national borders.

The appeal follows the launch of clinical trials in Bunia, where researchers have begun evaluating potential treatments for the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Africa CDC praised the DRC government, clinical investigators, and international partners for initiating the trials, describing the effort as a major step toward improving patient care and developing effective medical countermeasures for a virus that currently has no approved vaccine or treatment.

Scientists race to test new therapies as outbreak continues

Africa CDC said the current outbreak presents unique challenges because, unlike previous Ebola epidemics, there are no licensed vaccines or therapies specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain. The agency warned that every day without adequate funding allows the virus to spread further, increases humanitarian pressures, and raises the possibility of regional and international transmission.

Working alongside the World Health Organization, Oxford University, ANRS, IAVI, CEPI, Gilead Sciences, and other partners, researchers have launched an extensive programme to evaluate several promising therapies. These include the first post-exposure prevention trial using obeldesivir for people exposed to the virus, adaptive treatment studies involving remdesivir and MBP134 for infected patients, research into cross-protection vaccines, and the accelerated development of Bundibugyo-specific vaccines. While funding for vaccine research has largely been secured, Africa CDC said treatment trials remain at risk because of a major financial shortfall.

Africa CDC urges immediate global support

According to the agency, approximately 26 million US dollars is needed to complete the therapeutic trials. Around 10 million dollars has already been secured, leaving a funding gap of about 16 million dollars for the clinical studies, along with an additional 2 to 3 million dollars required to support contact tracing activities essential for the trials.

Africa CDC Director General Dr Jean Kaseya said the scientific groundwork has already been laid, but financial support is now urgently needed to ensure the studies begin without further delay. He stressed that investing in the trials is not only about responding to the current Ebola outbreak but also about strengthening Africa's ability to rapidly develop and deploy lifesaving treatments for future disease outbreaks and pandemics.

Africa CDC has appealed to governments, multilateral development banks, philanthropic organisations, private companies, and international partners to provide the required funding within days, saying the opportunity to contain the outbreak and advance global health preparedness must not be missed.