Africa CDC's Kaseya Calls for Ebola Vaccine Investment

Dr Jean Kaseya, the Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), attributed the lack of an approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease to insufficient international interest in Africa. During an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, he criticized international partners for treating the outbreak as an African issue, stating that if it were in Western countries, a vaccine would already be available.

Kaseya mentioned that efforts are being made to address the vaccine gap, including support for clinical trials of a vaccine candidate being developed by an African manufacturer in Egypt. He also noted collaboration with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda to explore clinical trials and the compassionate use of the Ervebo vaccine.

Kaseya emphasized Africa's capacity to manufacture vaccines and called for increased domestic funding and better coordination among African nations and international partners. The Bundibugyo strain currently has no licensed vaccine, with over 9,000 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths reported since the outbreak was declared in May 2026.