The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reached a significant milestone in its fight against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, with the first patient enrolled in a clinical treatment trial aimed at identifying effective therapies for the disease.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the development on Thursday, describing it as an important step in efforts to contain the outbreak and improve patient outcomes.
The trial comes at a critical time for the country, which is battling one of the largest outbreaks of the Bundibugyo Ebola strain ever recorded. Currently, there are no approved vaccines or treatments specifically designed for this variant of the virus.
Despite progress in expanding treatment and testing capacity, health officials warn that major obstacles remain.
Tedros highlighted a recent attack on an Ebola treatment centre in Ituri province that left two people dead, underscoring the security challenges facing health workers on the ground.
"Despite all this progress, we continue to face significant challenges, including mistrust and violence," he said.
Aid workers and health authorities have long struggled with insecurity in eastern Congo, where decades of conflict have fuelled distrust of government institutions and international organisations.
The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak was officially declared on 15 May and has since spread across the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.
According to government figures released on Wednesday, the outbreak has infected 1,406 people and caused 438 deaths. The WHO said the DRC has recorded an average of 38 new confirmed cases per day over the past two weeks.
Officials are also investigating potential exposures in two additional provinces, raising concerns that the outbreak could continue to expand.
The new trial will involve more than 1,000 patients and is expected to take several months to complete.
Researchers will evaluate Mapp Biopharmaceutical's experimental antibody treatment, MBP134, both as a standalone therapy and in combination with Gilead Sciences' antiviral drug remdesivir.
The WHO said sufficient supplies of the drugs are available for the study. Discussions are also underway with the United States government, which donated MBP134 supplies, and with Gilead to ensure that patients can continue accessing the treatments if they prove safe and effective.
Gilead announced that it has donated more than 2,000 vials of remdesivir for the trial, in addition to a further 2,000 vials previously supplied for emergency use in June.
Alongside treatment efforts, global health organisations are accelerating work to develop rapid diagnostic tests for the Bundibugyo strain.
The Geneva-based diagnostics organisation FIND said five potential manufacturers have been selected from an initial pool of 21 candidates and could begin field trials in eastern Congo within weeks.
The shortlisted companies include two manufacturers from West Africa, two from South Korea and one from the United States.
Health officials say a rapid antigen test could transform outbreak control efforts by enabling medical workers to identify infected individuals immediately rather than waiting days for laboratory results.
Currently, no rapid diagnostic test has been approved for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus.
The DRC has expanded its laboratory network, now comprising 10 facilities capable of testing for Bundibugyo Ebola.
However, responders continue to face major logistical hurdles. Poor road infrastructure, unreliable electricity supplies and insecurity make it difficult to transport samples and deliver timely results.
According to the International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat, rapid antigen tests could dramatically improve outbreak management by allowing health workers to make immediate decisions about isolation and treatment at the point of care.
FIND is also working to identify manufacturers able to provide simplified molecular tests that can be deployed in remote areas and used by laboratory personnel with limited specialist training.
The WHO says other aspects of the response are showing signs of improvement.
Authorities are now successfully following up with four out of every five identified contacts of Ebola patients. However, officials acknowledge that more contacts still need to be traced for each confirmed case.
Treatment capacity has also increased significantly. There are currently 650 Ebola treatment beds available across affected areas, with around 96% already occupied.
To cope with rising demand, the WHO and its partners are working to add another 300 beds in the coming weeks.
As the outbreak continues to spread, health officials hope that advances in treatment and diagnostics, combined with expanded healthcare capacity, will help bring the epidemic under control despite the persistent challenges posed by insecurity, limited infrastructure and public mistrust.
U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to make the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory have been mocked by Iran's Deputy Foreign Ministe...
At least 20 people have been killed after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, ...
The United Nations has urged sustained international engagement with Afghanistan five years into Taliban rule, warning that restrictions on women a...
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rerouted at Catania Airport over the past week as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption continues to disrupt air travel in Sicily.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
One person has been killed and six others injured after an explosion at a petroleum storage facility at the Port of Rotterdam, prompting an investigation into the cause.
Record rainfall in Japan killed eight people and stranded thousands of travellers at Tokyo's Narita Airport on Friday, as flooding disrupted transport and cut power to 20,000 homes.
At least 20 people have been killed after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, triggering small tsunami waves and dozens of aftershocks, officials say.
Jason Arday, the former University of Cambridge professor at the centre of a plagiarism row, has been found dead. He was appointed Cambridge's youngest ever Black professor in 2023, but quit on 5 August, after being accused of lifting passages from his PhD from the work of other academics.
Wildfires across England and Wales have reached their highest level on record, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council, as firefighters struggle to contain outbreaks following a spell of extreme heat.
A federal court has allowed the Trump administration to move forward with ending temporary immigration protections for Somali nationals living in the United States, a decision that could leave more than 1,000 people vulnerable to deportation.
Iran and Afghanistan are seeking closer cooperation in agriculture, livestock and irrigation during a three-day Iranian ministerial visit to Kabul, as both sides look to strengthen trade and rural economies.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment