CEPI funds first Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine as Congo outbreak doubles every 20 days

Senior United Nations officials called Wednesday for a three- to five-fold increase in the international response to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, warning that the epidemic is doubling in size every 20 days and outpacing containment efforts.

"In the last 24 hours, 50 people have died of Ebola in the Congo," UN Senior Ebola Coordinator Julien Harneis told reporters from Bunia, the capital of Ituri province. "This is a far faster growth than the growth in our response, and so the gap between the epidemic and our response is widening."bloomberg+1

The outbreak, declared on May 15, has recorded 3,360 confirmed cases and 1,487 deaths as of Monday, according to Congo's National Institute of Public Health. It is now on pace to surpass the country's previous deadliest outbreak — which lasted two years — in a matter of days, with the current crisis only 10 weeks old.wboc+2

A Crisis Compounding a Crisis

Carl Skau, acting executive director of the World Food Programme, described the situation as "a crisis on top of a crisis" during a visit to Ituri province. He called it "the fastest-growing Ebola crisis ever," noting that 1,000 people died in just over two months — a toll that took eight months to reach during the 2014-16 West Africa epidemic.news.un+1

Across 48 affected health zones, more than 2.7 million people face acute food insecurity, including 628,000 in emergency conditions. Measures to slow the virus — border closures, movement restrictions, and bans on large gatherings — have disrupted markets and supply routes, driving up food and fuel prices.wboc+1

No Vaccine, Underfunded Response

The Bundibugyo virus strain responsible for the outbreak has no approved vaccine or treatment, unlike the Zaire strain that caused Congo's previous major outbreak. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations announced Thursday it is funding production of clinical-trial doses of an experimental Bundibugyo vaccine built on the platform behind Merck's ↗ 0.32% licensed Ervebo shot, with manufacturing expected by year's end.moneyweb

Harneis said the UN's $2.1 billion humanitarian appeal for Congo is only 45 percent funded. The WFP said it requires $293.6 million to sustain all operations in the country over the next six months, including emergency logistics and food assistance. Budget shortfalls have already forced the agency to cut the number of people it assists in Congo from 3 million last year to 1 million this year.freemalaysiatoday+2

Meanwhile, Uganda declared itself Ebola-free on Tuesday after its last patient was discharged in mid-June, though the risk of cross-border spread from Congo remains high.pbs