The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has blamed inadequate international attention for the absence of an approved vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, saying the outcome might have been different if the outbreak were occurring in Western countries.
The agency’s Director-General, Dr Jean Kaseya, made the assertion on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he called on African countries to strengthen local vaccine research, development and production.
Kaseya argued that the lack of a licensed vaccine for the strain reflected a wider imbalance in global health priorities, with diseases predominantly affecting Africa attracting insufficient investment.
“I can tell you, if this outbreak was in Western countries, vaccine will already be available. Why this vaccine today is not available? Because some of our partners decided to consider this issue as an African issue, they were not interested,” he said.
He said the Africa CDC was working with relevant partners to support the development of vaccine candidates, including clinical trials targeting the Bundibugyo strain.
According to him, an African vaccine manufacturer in Egypt is conducting clinical trials of a potential vaccine against the strain.
Kaseya further disclosed that discussions were ongoing with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda on possible clinical trials and compassionate use of Ervebo, which was developed to protect against the Zaire strain of Ebola.
However, the absence of an approved vaccine specifically targeting Bundibugyo remains a major challenge for health authorities responding to the outbreak.
The Africa CDC director-general said the continent had the scientific expertise and industrial capacity needed to make progress in vaccine development, urging African governments to move beyond dependence on external assistance.
“We don’t want to see Africa left behind. We have the knowledge, we have people with intelligence, we have capacity to manufacture vaccines, and we need to move on,” he said.
He also emphasised the importance of domestic financing and coordinated action between African countries and international partners. Kaseya said 28 African countries had provided funding for the ongoing outbreak response.
The Bundibugyo strain has no licensed vaccine or approved specific treatment. The outbreak, declared in the DRC in May 2026, has recorded more than 9,000 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths, according to Congolese health authorities.
The outbreak has heightened concerns about the international spread of the virus, with Kenya’s Ministry of Health reporting its ninth case on Tuesday.
Nigeria also confirmed an imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20. The patient, a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda, is receiving medical care.
Health authorities have identified 44 contacts linked to the Nigerian case for monitoring as they intensify efforts to prevent further transmission.
Kaseya’s comments have renewed calls for greater investment in Africa’s health security infrastructure, particularly in vaccine research and manufacturing, to ensure the continent can respond more effectively to future epidemics.
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