Protect Uganda-DRC Border Communities from Ebola

Dear Donor,

A major new development in the Ebola response is the beginning of vaccination of frontline health workers in Bunia, the epicenter of the DRC outbreak.

On 19 September, DRC authorities began administering Ervebo to healthcare and other frontline workers. The campaign is intended to protect people heavily exposed during the response while clinical research continues.

This development requires careful communication because the current outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, while Ervebo was licensed for Zaire ebolavirus. WHO says available evidence remains insufficient to establish Ervebo's effectiveness against Bundibugyo virus and recommends its use against Bundibugyo only within research protocols.

Development Alert continues promoting accurate information so communities understand the difference between established evidence and ongoing research.

Our role is not to make medical recommendations but to encourage people to rely on qualified health authorities and trained professionals.

We also support broader awareness around infection prevention, early reporting and healthcare access.

Research is particularly important during this outbreak because Bundibugyo Ebola is less well studied than the Zaire strain.

Candidate vaccines and clinical studies are therefore part of the broader international response.

Our commitment is to ensure that communities receive accurate, responsible information while supporting the health workers and researchers working to control this unprecedented outbreak.