Why Africa is without vaccine for latest Ebola strain — Africa CDC

Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jean Kaseya

By Ayobami Okerinde

The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jean Kaseya, has blamed a lack of international interest for the absence of an approved vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, saying the situation might have been different if the outbreak were affecting Western countries.

Kaseya made the remarks on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he called for greater African investment in vaccine research and manufacturing.

He said, “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.”

The Africa CDC chief, however, said the agency was taking steps to address the gap, including supporting clinical trials of vaccine candidates.

He disclosed that an African manufacturer in Egypt was conducting clinical trials of a potential vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain.

Kaseya also said the agency was working with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda to explore clinical trials and compassionate use of Ervebo, a vaccine developed for the Zaire strain of Ebola.

He stressed that the continent had the expertise and capacity to advance vaccine development, adding that Africa should not continue to depend solely on external partners during public health emergencies.

“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.

Kaseya also called for greater domestic funding and improved coordination among African countries and international partners. He said 28 African countries had contributed funding to support the response to the current outbreak.

The Bundibugyo strain has no licensed vaccine or approved specific treatment. The outbreak, declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2026, has caused more than 9,000 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths, according to Congolese health authorities

The disease has also been detected in other countries, with the Kenyan Health Ministry reporting a ninth case in the country on Tuesday, prompting concerns over cross-border transmission.

Nigeria also confirmed its first 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, while health authorities have identified 44 contacts for monitoring.