Published on: 2026-08-13
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
August 12, 2026 Healthcare
United Nations humanitarian workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to ramp up efforts in response to the Ebola outbreak. This was stated on Wednesday by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher.
He emphasized that it is necessary to act even more cohesively and promptly, as the scale of the outbreak is currently doubling every 20 days. The authorities of the DRC reported 4,449 confirmed cases and 2,061 deaths, meaning nearly every second diagnosed patient dies.
New vaccines
Two vaccines specifically designed against the Bundibugyo Ebola virus have entered the patient trial phase. This was reported on Wednesday on the social network X by the head of the World Health Organization (WHO). Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that scientific research development in this area is proceeding simultaneously along several directions.
According to the head of WHO, two new animal trials of the vaccine against the more common type of Ebola – the Zaire virus – were completed simultaneously. These trials, he said, showed promising results regarding cross-protection in animals. WHO recommended including this vaccine in the third phase of clinical trials, which is the final stage of testing the drug on a large number of patients.
“We hope to start this phase as soon as possible,” noted the head of WHO. “We do not know if this vaccine is effective against Bundibugyo in humans, and that is precisely why we need a new phase of trials.”
WHO calls on partners to accelerate the preparation and launch of the next phase of research to ensure access to a safe and effective vaccine for current and future outbreaks.
“We act as a unified team”
Meanwhile, work continues on therapeutic approaches to treating Ebola. The PARTNERS clinical trial, supported by WHO, has reached an important milestone – 100 patients have already been enrolled. According to Gebreyesus, this demonstrates that even in a challenging epidemiological situation, scientific work can be organized quickly and coherently.
The head of WHO emphasized that progress was made possible thanks to the joint efforts of several international organizations: “Neither WHO, nor governments, nor Africa CDC [the autonomous health agency of the African Union] are doing this work alone. We act together, as one team.”
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It represents an accurate account of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.