The Democratic Republic of Congo has begun administering Ebola vaccines to frontline workers as authorities race to contain the country's largest and deadliest outbreak of the virus.
The vaccination campaign was launched in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province, one of several regions affected by the outbreak.
Officials are initially focusing on healthcare workers and personnel involved in the Ebola response, who face the highest risk of exposure while treating patients and tracing infections.
Congolese authorities have opted to deploy the Ervebo vaccine, which proved effective during previous Ebola outbreaks caused by the Zaire strain of the virus. However, the current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, for which no fully licensed vaccine is yet available.
Health Minister Roger Kamba said the decision was made to provide immediate protection to those on the front lines while researchers continue efforts to develop and test vaccines specifically designed for the current variant.
The latest outbreak has already become the most severe Ebola crisis the country has faced.
According to official figures released this week, more than 5,700 confirmed cases have been recorded, while the death toll has surpassed 2,700 people. The outbreak is concentrated in the eastern province of Ituri, although cases have spread to several other provinces.
Congo has experienced numerous Ebola outbreaks over the past decades, but health officials say the scale and lethality of the current epidemic have surpassed previous emergencies.
The rapid rise in infections has placed additional pressure on an already strained healthcare system, particularly in remote areas where access to medical facilities remains limited.
Alongside the emergency vaccination effort, international partners are accelerating research into vaccines tailored to the Bundibugyo strain.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced new financial support for Egypt-based pharmaceutical company Minapharm Group to advance an experimental Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine into human clinical trials in Africa.
The funding, worth up to $16.5 million, is intended to help move the candidate vaccine through the next stage of development as scientists work to find longer-term solutions to the outbreak.
CEPI said the Minapharm project is one of several vaccine programmes being supported in response to the crisis. The organisation has now backed five Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine candidates as part of a broader effort to expand protection against a disease that continues to pose a major public health threat in Central Africa.
Public health experts say the vaccination campaign represents an important step in protecting healthcare workers, but stress that vaccinations alone will not end the outbreak.
Containment efforts also depend on rapid case detection, treatment, contact tracing and community engagement, particularly in affected regions where mistrust of health authorities can complicate response measures.
With infections continuing to rise, Congolese authorities and international health partners face mounting pressure to slow the spread of the virus and prevent the outbreak from expanding further across the region.
For now, officials hope the combination of emergency vaccinations, enhanced surveillance and ongoing vaccine research can help turn the tide against one of the most serious Ebola outbreaks ever recorded.
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