The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the start of the first clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine targeting the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), where more than 4,600 deaths have been reported.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed on Friday that the first participants had received vaccinations in Bunia, DR Congo, marking a significant step in efforts to find ways to combat the outbreak.
The epidemic, described as the country’s worst-ever Ebola outbreak, has recorded more than 9,700 cases. However, the response has faced major challenges because there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for the Bundibugyo species of Ebola responsible for the outbreak.
The new clinical trial, named Tumaini, meaning “hope” in Swahili, will examine whether existing and experimental vaccines can provide protection against the virus.
“Science gives us hope. Today, in Bunia, DRC, the first participants were vaccinated in a new Ebola vaccine trial called Tumaini, which means ‘hope’ in Swahili,” Tedros said in a post on X.
He explained that the trial would help researchers determine whether vaccine candidates could provide protection against the Bundibugyo virus.
One of the vaccines being tested is Ervebo, which is already approved for preventing disease caused by the Zaire strain of Ebola. Researchers will assess whether it can also offer protection against the Bundibugyo strain.
“This trial will help us understand whether any of the vaccine candidates designed for Bundibugyo virus work,” Tedros said.
He added that the WHO was supporting the effort, which is being led by the DR Congo, to find answers and save lives.
The Tumaini trial uses a single framework that allows researchers to assess the safety and effectiveness of multiple vaccine candidates. It is also expected to include two experimental vaccines specifically developed for the Bundibugyo virus as they progress through earlier stages of clinical testing.
One candidate is an adenoviral vaccine known as ChAdOx1, being developed by the University of Oxford. The other is an mRNA-based vaccine developed by US biotechnology company Moderna.
The trial represents an important development in the fight against the outbreak, as health authorities seek effective ways to protect people from a strain of Ebola for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment currently exists.
