Africa CDC chief say no Ebola vaccine for new strain because partners lost interest
- Dr Jean Kaseya of Africa CDC say di Bundibugyo Ebola strain no get any licensed vaccine because international partners treat am like say na only African problem.
- E talk say one Egyptian manufacturer dey run trials and dem fit test Ervebo for di strain for DR Congo and Uganda.
- Nigeria confirm im first imported case for Abuja on 20 October and dem dey monitor 44 contacts.
Di head of di Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr Jean Kaseya, say di reason why no approved vaccine dey for di Ebola strain wey dey spread for some parts of Africa na because of who bin dey pay attention.
Speaking on Channels Television's The Morning Brief on Thursday, Kaseya say some international partners treat di Bundibugyo strain as problem for Africa alone, and say vaccine for likely don dey if di outbreak start for anoda place.
If this outbreak was in Western countries, vaccine would already be available,
e talk, and add say di partners "were not interested".
Di Bundibugyo strain no get licensed vaccine and no approved specific treatment. Di Zaire strain, on di oda hand, get Ervebo, wey be licensed vaccine, and don cause more than 16 outbreaks, according to Kaseya. E talk say Bundibugyo just get fewer outbreaks, so e no draw much research money.
Wetin dem dey do about am
Kaseya talk say Africa CDC no dey wait. One manufacturer for Egypt dey run clinical trials of one candidate vaccine wey target Bundibugyo, and di agency dey work with di Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda on trials and compassionate use of Ervebo against dis strain.
E talk say di continent get di scientists and di factory capacity to make im own vaccines, and e suppose stop to dey rely entirely on outsiders when emergencies hit.
We don't want to see Africa left behind. We have the knowledge, we have people with intelligence, we have capacity to manufacture vaccines, and we need to move on,
e talk.
Money dey also come from closer to home. Kaseya talk say 28 African countries don put funds into di current response, wey e call di first time so many don contribute.
According to Congolese health authorities, dem declare di outbreak for DR Congo in May 2026 and e don produce more than 9,000 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths. Kenya's health ministry report di ninth case for di country on Tuesday.
Why dis one matter for Nigeria
Nigeria confirm im first imported case for di Federal Capital Territory on 20 October. Di patient na woman wey recently travel go Uganda, and she dey receive medical care. Health authorities don list 44 contacts for monitoring.
With no vaccine for dis strain, to contain am depend on surveillance, contact tracing and quick isolation — di steps wey Nigerian health workers dey carry out now for Abuja.
Wetin go happen next: watch for trial results from di Egyptian candidate and for any decision on using Ervebo outside im licensed purpose. Nigerian authorities dey expected to keep tracing and watching di 44 contacts.
