Africa CDC urges African governments to fund Ebola response and vaccine development

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that African governments must increase their own financing for the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda and for the development of vaccines. The agency reported more than 200 deaths among 894 confirmed cases since May 15, with up to 35,000 contacts traced so far.

It added that the true number of cases is believed to be higher because confirmation of the outbreak was delayed by several weeks. Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya told The Associated Press in Addis Ababa that the current outbreak is the worst at this stage on record and that the continent must reduce its reliance on foreign partners for health needs.

Current outbreak details Response efforts face challenges because no approved vaccines or treatments exist for the Bundibugyo virus strain involved. The more common Zaire strain, for which a vaccine is available, has caused most of Congo’s previous 16 outbreaks.

Health workers in eastern Ituri province continue to conduct burials, including of infants, while facing attacks from residents and widespread skepticism. Officials have not yet identified the outbreak’s first case and still need to trace more than 35,000 contacts.

Funding and manufacturing goals Kaseya said South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to travel to Ituri province and to Uganda next week to support fundraising. A newly created African Epidemic Fund has received about $80 million in pledges from African governments, while a broader donor conference this week produced pledges totaling about $910 million.

The continent produces less than 1 percent of its vaccine needs and 3 percent of its medicines, leaving populations vulnerable to epidemics as the population is projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050. Kaseya said he is uncertain whether a vaccine will be ready by the end of the year and that the outbreak’s peak is still ahead because contact tracing remains slow.