World Health Organization (WHO) Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on the 12th that clinical trials of a vaccine once morest the deadly Ebola virus strain in Uganda might begin within weeks.
Uganda last month reported its first death from the highly contagious disease since 2019. The World Health Organization said in a statement that so far there have been 54 confirmed cases and 19 deaths.
Uganda’s health minister, Jane Ruth Aceng, told AFP that one death was also reported in the capital Kampala. The patient died in a hospital in the capital following fleeing the central Mubende district where the Ebola outbreak first emerged.
There is currently no vaccine once morest the Sudanese Ebola strain circulating in the East African country.
“Unfortunately, while the Ebola vaccine has been very effective in controlling the recent outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ebola vaccine, which is responsible for the current outbreak in Uganda, has strains of the virus are ineffective.”
“Several vaccines once morest this strain are in various stages of development, two of which might begin clinical trials in Uganda in the coming weeks and are currently awaiting approval from the Ugandan government,” Tedros said.
According to WHO, Uganda first reported the Ebola outbreak on September 20, and confirmed cases were found in five districts, including Mubende district.
“Our main focus now is to assist the Ugandan government to quickly control and contain the outbreak, and prevent its spread to neighboring regions and countries,” Tedros said.
WHO assesses that the risk of Sudanese Ebola virus transmission to neighbouring countries is high because of frequent cross-border movements between Uganda and other countries.
Ebola virus is an often deadly viral haemorrhagic fever, named following it was first discovered in the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976.
Ebola virus is transmitted through body fluids, and common symptoms are fever, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhea. Outbreaks are difficult to control, especially in urban settings. Infected people are not contagious until symptoms appear, which is usually following an incubation period of 2 to 21 days.
The worst Ebola outbreak occurred in West Africa between 2013 and 2016, killing more than 11,300 people.
Uganda has experienced several Ebola outbreaks, most recently in 2019, when at least five people died.
The neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo has seen more than a dozen outbreaks, the deadliest of which was in 2020, with 2,280 deaths. Late last month, the Democratic Republic of Congo announced that the Ebola outbreak that started six weeks ago in the eastern province of North Kivu was over.
