Ebola Virus: WHO says $115M needed as outbreak outpaces response
By Precious Mark
Global health authorities have raised fresh concern over the ongoing Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, warning that response efforts remain significantly underfunded even as multiple vaccine candidates move rapidly toward clinical trial readiness.
Speaking at a World Health Organization (WHO) Africa media briefing on Thursday, officials estimated that about $115 million is required to fund the Ebola response. However, only about 35% of the required funding has been secured so far, leaving a significant gap that is slowing key outbreak control operations.
The World Health Organization said the funding shortfall is already affecting critical interventions, including contact tracing, laboratory capacity expansion, treatment centre operations, and cross-border surveillance between the DRC and Uganda, where confirmed cases have been recorded.
The organization warned that without urgent financial support, efforts to contain the outbreak could continue to lag behind transmission, particularly in conflict-affected regions of eastern Congo where access and security remain major challenges.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, also provided updated outbreak figures, saying there have been 344 confirmed cases and 60 deaths across 24 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces.
He added that suspected cases have dropped sharply to 116 from over 1,000 previously, while more than 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths have been recorded overall.
Three main vaccine candidates are currently in development under global partnerships coordinated with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
The most advanced candidate is being developed by Oxford University in collaboration with the Serum Institute of India.
WHO said the vaccine could be ready for clinical trial evaluation within 2 to 3 months, pending regulatory and preclinical requirements.
A second candidate led by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) uses rVSV technology, a platform previously used in Ebola vaccine development.
Officials said this candidate is expected to reach clinical trial readiness in about 7 to 9 months, depending on development progress and regulatory approvals.
The third candidate, developed by Moderna, uses an mRNA-based platform and remains in the preclinical stage.
WHO noted that the project has received up to $50 million in funding support from CEPI to accelerate development toward future clinical trials.
WHO reiterated that despite rapid progress in vaccine research, there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain.
Dr Tedros, warned that epidemiological investigations suggest the outbreak may have begun as early as January 2026, but was only officially detected months later due to weak surveillance systems and symptoms that often mimic other endemic illnesses such as malaria and typhoid fever.
WHO also highlighted major operational challenges, particularly in contact tracing, where only about 45% of identified contacts are currently being successfully followed up and monitored.
The agency attributed this gap to ongoing insecurity, armed conflict, population displacement, difficult terrain, and community mistrust in affected areas, all of which are undermining surveillance and containment efforts.
The organization further advised against blanket travel restrictions, warning that such measures could disrupt medical supply chains and delay the movement of health personnel and equipment.
Instead, WHO recommended targeted screening and strengthened surveillance systems at points of entry.
While global scientific efforts are rapidly advancing toward potential Ebola vaccine trials within months, WHO stressed that the outbreak remains ahead of response capacity due to funding gaps, insecurity, and surveillance weaknesses.