Congo-Kinshasa: Race to Find Ebola Vaccine As DR Congo Outbreak Kills More Than 2,000
[RFI] The latest outbreak of Ebola has killed more than 2,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to health authorities. Meanwhile, international efforts have been stepped up to test a vaccine for the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever.
The latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has claimed over 2,000 lives, according to health authorities. The outbreak, which began in northeastern Ituri province, has spread to several other provinces, including North Kivu. The current outbreak is already considered the largest in DRC history, with a case fatality rate of 45.9 percent.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended a full-scale human trial of the only existing approved Ebola vaccine, Ervebo, to test if it offers cross-protection against the strain of Ebola currently spreading in the DRC. The Gavi global vaccine alliance, which maintains a stockpile of 500,000 Ervebo doses, will make doses available for the trials.
The DRC has allocated over $242 million for additional funding to combat the outbreak, bringing direct US financial assistance to more than $500 million.
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