The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr Jean Kaseya, has blamed a lack of international interest in Africa for the absence of an approved vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease.
Kaseya said the situation might have been different if the outbreak were affecting Western countries, calling for increased investment in vaccine research and manufacturing across Africa.
He made the remarks on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he criticised international partners for what he described as their lack of interest in developing a vaccine against the strain.
He said, “I can tell you, if this outbreak was in Western countries, vaccine will already be available. Why this vaccine today is not available? Because some of our partners decided to consider this issue as an African issue, they were not interested.”
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
The Africa CDC chief, however, said efforts were underway to bridge the vaccine gap, including support for clinical trials of potential vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo strain.
He disclosed that an African vaccine manufacturer in Egypt was conducting clinical trials of a vaccine candidate against the strain.
Kaseya also revealed that the agency was working with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda to explore clinical trials and the compassionate use of Ervebo, a vaccine developed against the Zaire strain of Ebola.
He stressed that Africa had the expertise and manufacturing capacity to develop vaccines, urging the continent to reduce its dependence on external partners during public health emergencies.
“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,” he said.
Kaseya further called for increased domestic funding and better coordination among African countries and international partners to strengthen the continent’s response to disease outbreaks.
He said 28 African countries had contributed funds to support the response to the current outbreak.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola currently has no licensed vaccine or approved specific treatment, making outbreak containment and public health interventions particularly important.
The outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2026 and has recorded more than 9,000 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths, according to Congolese health authorities.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The disease has also been detected in other countries, raising concerns about cross-border transmission and the need for stronger regional surveillance and emergency preparedness.
Kenya’s Ministry of Health reported a ninth case in the country on Tuesday, further highlighting concerns about the spread of the virus across national borders.
Nigeria confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20, 2026.
The patient, a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda, is receiving medical care, while health authorities have identified 44 contacts for monitoring.
The development has heightened attention on Nigeria’s preparedness to contain the infection, particularly as the country strengthens surveillance and contact-tracing efforts following the confirmation.
The absence of an approved vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain has also renewed calls for increased investment in African-led vaccine research, development and manufacturing.
Kaseya maintained that the continent had the human resources and technical capacity to address its vaccine development challenges, stressing the need for African countries to take a more active role in protecting their populations against emerging health threats.
