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DRC – 17th Ebola Outbreak (Bundibugyo virus) - Concerns over reliability of Government reported cumulative cases and deaths - May 2026+
- Thread starter Michael Coston
- Start date
Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Images translated by Google
SitRep N°124/MVEBDB/15/09/2026
- septembre 17, 2026
- Posted by insp.cd
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Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
North Kivu -
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Translation Google
Lubero health zone: more than ten confirmed Ebola cases, 11 deaths recorded in Munyakondomi
Thu 17/09/2026 - 13:19
The situation remains concerning in the Lubero health zone of North Kivu, where the Ebola virus disease outbreak continues to strain health teams. The Munyakondomi health area, located southeast of Lubero town, is particularly affected and considered one of the main epicenters of the outbreak in this health zone. The evolving situation and the challenges encountered in the response were the focus of a meeting held in Lubero on Tuesday, September 15, with health officials and community leaders.
The Lubero health zone in North Kivu faces several challenges in the fight against Ebola virus disease, while the Munyakondomi health area remains particularly affected.
The chief medical officer for the health zone, Dr. Charles Kaviri, reported 16 confirmed cases, including 11 deaths, in this health area. Four patients have, according to him, abandoned their treatment, while one active case is currently being monitored in a health facility.
Delays in accessing healthcare are one of the main challenges reported by health authorities. According to Dr. Charles Kaviri, some patients arrive late at healthcare facilities, which reduces their chances of survival and can facilitate the transmission of the virus within the community.
The chief medical officer of the area also reports resistance in some communities, refusal of care, and cases of patients leaving health facilities before the end of their treatment.
Faced with these challenges, Dr. Charles Kaviri is calling on the public to cooperate with the teams involved in the response. He specifically encourages anyone experiencing suspicious symptoms to consult a health facility promptly and urges community leaders to intensify awareness campaigns on epidemic prevention and control measures.
Despite support from the Congolese government and several partners, including the World Health Organization, WHO, and ALIMA, in the various response activities, health authorities in the Lubero health zone are calling for increased resources to continue surveillance, patient care, and community awareness in the affected areas.
actualite.cd
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Translation Google
Lubero health zone: more than ten confirmed Ebola cases, 11 deaths recorded in Munyakondomi
Thu 17/09/2026 - 13:19
The situation remains concerning in the Lubero health zone of North Kivu, where the Ebola virus disease outbreak continues to strain health teams. The Munyakondomi health area, located southeast of Lubero town, is particularly affected and considered one of the main epicenters of the outbreak in this health zone. The evolving situation and the challenges encountered in the response were the focus of a meeting held in Lubero on Tuesday, September 15, with health officials and community leaders.
The Lubero health zone in North Kivu faces several challenges in the fight against Ebola virus disease, while the Munyakondomi health area remains particularly affected.
The chief medical officer for the health zone, Dr. Charles Kaviri, reported 16 confirmed cases, including 11 deaths, in this health area. Four patients have, according to him, abandoned their treatment, while one active case is currently being monitored in a health facility.
Delays in accessing healthcare are one of the main challenges reported by health authorities. According to Dr. Charles Kaviri, some patients arrive late at healthcare facilities, which reduces their chances of survival and can facilitate the transmission of the virus within the community.
The chief medical officer of the area also reports resistance in some communities, refusal of care, and cases of patients leaving health facilities before the end of their treatment.
Faced with these challenges, Dr. Charles Kaviri is calling on the public to cooperate with the teams involved in the response. He specifically encourages anyone experiencing suspicious symptoms to consult a health facility promptly and urges community leaders to intensify awareness campaigns on epidemic prevention and control measures.
Despite support from the Congolese government and several partners, including the World Health Organization, WHO, and ALIMA, in the various response activities, health authorities in the Lubero health zone are calling for increased resources to continue surveillance, patient care, and community awareness in the affected areas.
Zone de santé de Lubero : sur une dizaine de cas d’Ebola confirmés, 11 décès enregistrés à Munyakondomi
La situation reste préoccupante dans la zone de santé de Lubero, au Nord-Kivu, où l’épidémie de la maladie à virus Ebola continue de mobiliser les équipes sanitaires.
actualite.cd
Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Images translated by Google
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SitRep N°125/MVEBDB/16/09/2026
- September 17, 2026
- Posted by insp.cd
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Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Translation Google
DRC: MSF warns that it would be a mistake to consider the epidemic under control.
Press releases September 18, 2026
The race to contain the Ebola epidemic is far from over, warns Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Although some indicators, such as the decrease in patient admissions and the slowdown in transmission, may suggest that the epidemic is subsiding, MSF teams are observing a worrying trend: while response measures remain incomplete in the historical hotspots of the epidemic, new cases are appearing and spreading to unprepared areas, further complicating efforts to control the epidemic.
“ To consider the epidemic under control simply because some Ebola Treatment Centers (ETCs) are receiving fewer patients would be a mistake ,” says Anthony Kergosien, MSF’s Emergency Coordinator in Bunia, Ituri. “ In Ituri, which was the initial epicenter of the outbreak, the situation does seem to be slowing down for the moment. But nationally, the number of new cases has not decreased. The epidemic is not receding, it is shifting: South Ubangi has become the seventh affected province, while North Kivu now accounts for nearly half of the new confirmed cases, with a sharp increase in the positivity rate observed in recent days. While undetected chains of transmission already appear to be taking hold in the main hotspots of the epidemic, its spread to new areas, where preparedness and response capacities are even more limited, poses a major risk to controlling the epidemic .”
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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is currently facing the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded. Since May, more than 7,200 confirmed cases and 3,500 deaths have been reported. The actual toll is likely higher due to gaps in surveillance and case detection. To best adapt its response to the evolving outbreak, MSF is deploying staff and resources in rapid response teams. These teams support early case detection, patient observation and care, infection prevention and control activities, contact tracing, epidemiological surveillance, and community engagement.
“ This strategy aims to quickly detect and contain new clusters of transmission before they develop into large-scale outbreaks in areas with no response capacity ,” explains Anthony Kergosien. “ In health zones like Bambu, where a rapid response team is currently deployed, health systems are already under immense pressure due to chronic underfunding, staff shortages, and limited patient referral capacity. The epidemic is pushing these fragile structures beyond their limits. Our teams are providing a frontline response to meet the most urgent needs while we wait for the overall response to be strengthened .”
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However, MSF teams cannot respond to the spread of this epidemic alone. To make this approach sustainable, a significant increase in operational support from UN agencies, particularly the World Health Organization (WHO), is essential. A more responsive and comprehensive mobilization is urgently needed to strengthen all pillars of the Ebola response, especially in areas far from the main operational centers where response capacities remain limited. Such support would allow MSF teams to focus on rapid deployment to areas where new outbreaks are emerging, while ensuring that affected communities receive all the services necessary to contain the epidemic.
www.msf.org
DRC: MSF warns that it would be a mistake to consider the epidemic under control.
Press releases September 18, 2026
The race to contain the Ebola epidemic is far from over, warns Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Although some indicators, such as the decrease in patient admissions and the slowdown in transmission, may suggest that the epidemic is subsiding, MSF teams are observing a worrying trend: while response measures remain incomplete in the historical hotspots of the epidemic, new cases are appearing and spreading to unprepared areas, further complicating efforts to control the epidemic.
“ To consider the epidemic under control simply because some Ebola Treatment Centers (ETCs) are receiving fewer patients would be a mistake ,” says Anthony Kergosien, MSF’s Emergency Coordinator in Bunia, Ituri. “ In Ituri, which was the initial epicenter of the outbreak, the situation does seem to be slowing down for the moment. But nationally, the number of new cases has not decreased. The epidemic is not receding, it is shifting: South Ubangi has become the seventh affected province, while North Kivu now accounts for nearly half of the new confirmed cases, with a sharp increase in the positivity rate observed in recent days. While undetected chains of transmission already appear to be taking hold in the main hotspots of the epidemic, its spread to new areas, where preparedness and response capacities are even more limited, poses a major risk to controlling the epidemic .”
...
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is currently facing the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded. Since May, more than 7,200 confirmed cases and 3,500 deaths have been reported. The actual toll is likely higher due to gaps in surveillance and case detection. To best adapt its response to the evolving outbreak, MSF is deploying staff and resources in rapid response teams. These teams support early case detection, patient observation and care, infection prevention and control activities, contact tracing, epidemiological surveillance, and community engagement.
“ This strategy aims to quickly detect and contain new clusters of transmission before they develop into large-scale outbreaks in areas with no response capacity ,” explains Anthony Kergosien. “ In health zones like Bambu, where a rapid response team is currently deployed, health systems are already under immense pressure due to chronic underfunding, staff shortages, and limited patient referral capacity. The epidemic is pushing these fragile structures beyond their limits. Our teams are providing a frontline response to meet the most urgent needs while we wait for the overall response to be strengthened .”
...
However, MSF teams cannot respond to the spread of this epidemic alone. To make this approach sustainable, a significant increase in operational support from UN agencies, particularly the World Health Organization (WHO), is essential. A more responsive and comprehensive mobilization is urgently needed to strengthen all pillars of the Ebola response, especially in areas far from the main operational centers where response capacities remain limited. Such support would allow MSF teams to focus on rapid deployment to areas where new outbreaks are emerging, while ensuring that affected communities receive all the services necessary to contain the epidemic.
RDC : Considérer que l’épidémie est sous contrôle serait une erreur, alerte MSF | MSF
Bunia, République démocratique du Congo, 17 septembre 2026 – La course pour contenir l’épidémie de maladie à Ebola est loin d’être terminée, avertit Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
North Kivu -
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Translation Google
Beni: Kyavinyonge, the latest entity affected by Ebola after a confirmed death
Fri 18/09/2026 - 19:42
A death linked to Ebola virus disease was confirmed on Thursday, September 17, 2026, in the Kyavinyonge fishery, located on the northwest coast of Lake Edward, in the Kasongwere group, Bashu chiefdom, Beni territory, North Kivu.
According to Dr. Kabongo Kapitao, chief medical officer of the Kyondo health zone, the victim was a man over 40 years old from the city of Butembo. He was hospitalized at the Kyavinyonge Referral Health Center. He had tested positive the day before his death.
The chief medical officer of the Kyondo health zone also indicated that a dignified and safe burial had been organized. Furthermore, health measures had been taken to limit the risk of the disease spreading.
Located on the shores of Lake Edward, Kyavinyonge serves as a crossing point into Uganda across the lake border. In response to this situation, civil society actors are advocating for increased awareness and community engagement in disease prevention.
According to the summary of the epidemiological situation of the Ebola virus disease on Thursday, September 17, 2026, the Kyondo health zone, which includes the Kyavinyonge fishery, had a total of 32 confirmed cases, including 17 deaths.
In the Beni territory, the Oïcha health zone, the territory's capital, now has 12 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease. These figures were announced on Friday, September 18, 2026, to Radio Moto Oïcha by the supervisor in charge of curative care at this health facility.
According to Jeannot Sumbuka Kalivwa, all these cases came from other health zones affected by the epidemic, and no locally transmitted cases have yet been recorded in Oïcha.
Of the 12 confirmed cases, two people have recovered, two others are currently being treated at the Ebola Treatment Center (ETC), while eight deaths have been recorded.
Furthermore, targeted vaccination continues in the provinces of Tshopo and Bas-Uélé.
As of September 16, 22 new recoveries have been recorded in areas affected by the Ebola Bundibugyo epidemic, bringing the number of people who have recovered since the start of the epidemic to 1,798.
Josué Mutanava, in Goma
actualite.cd
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Translation Google
Beni: Kyavinyonge, the latest entity affected by Ebola after a confirmed death
Fri 18/09/2026 - 19:42
A death linked to Ebola virus disease was confirmed on Thursday, September 17, 2026, in the Kyavinyonge fishery, located on the northwest coast of Lake Edward, in the Kasongwere group, Bashu chiefdom, Beni territory, North Kivu.
According to Dr. Kabongo Kapitao, chief medical officer of the Kyondo health zone, the victim was a man over 40 years old from the city of Butembo. He was hospitalized at the Kyavinyonge Referral Health Center. He had tested positive the day before his death.
The chief medical officer of the Kyondo health zone also indicated that a dignified and safe burial had been organized. Furthermore, health measures had been taken to limit the risk of the disease spreading.
Located on the shores of Lake Edward, Kyavinyonge serves as a crossing point into Uganda across the lake border. In response to this situation, civil society actors are advocating for increased awareness and community engagement in disease prevention.
According to the summary of the epidemiological situation of the Ebola virus disease on Thursday, September 17, 2026, the Kyondo health zone, which includes the Kyavinyonge fishery, had a total of 32 confirmed cases, including 17 deaths.
In the Beni territory, the Oïcha health zone, the territory's capital, now has 12 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease. These figures were announced on Friday, September 18, 2026, to Radio Moto Oïcha by the supervisor in charge of curative care at this health facility.
According to Jeannot Sumbuka Kalivwa, all these cases came from other health zones affected by the epidemic, and no locally transmitted cases have yet been recorded in Oïcha.
Of the 12 confirmed cases, two people have recovered, two others are currently being treated at the Ebola Treatment Center (ETC), while eight deaths have been recorded.
Furthermore, targeted vaccination continues in the provinces of Tshopo and Bas-Uélé.
As of September 16, 22 new recoveries have been recorded in areas affected by the Ebola Bundibugyo epidemic, bringing the number of people who have recovered since the start of the epidemic to 1,798.
Josué Mutanava, in Goma
Beni : Kyavinyonge, nouvelle entité touchée par Ebola après un décès confirmé
Un décès lié à la maladie à virus Ebola a été confirmé jeudi 17 septembre 2026 dans la pêcherie de Kyavinyonge, située sur la côte nord-ouest du lac Édouard, dans le groupement Kasongwere, chefferie des Bashu, territoire de Beni, au Nord-Kivu.
actualite.cd
Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Images translated by Google
SitRep N°126/MVEBDB/17/09/2026
- Septembre 19, 2026
- Posted by insp.cd
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Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Images translated by Google
SitRep N°127/MVEBDB/18/09/2026
- September 19, 2026
- Posted by insp.cd
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Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Related to SitRep N°127 (above) confirming that Dungu is a newly affected health zone in Haut-Uélé.
Dunguinfordc.com is a local online news site based in Dungu.
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Translation Google
Haut-Uele: The rural health zone of Dungu has been affected by Ebola virus disease; panic is not an option, vigilance is still required.
Sep 19, 2026
The very first case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has just been confirmed in the rural health zone of Dungu, in the Haut-Uélé province, in the North-East of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to information received from medical personnel, the case was identified following the analysis of samples taken from a deceased young girl. The samples were collected in Nagero, the headquarters of Garamba National Park, located approximately 100 kilometers east of the city of Dungu.
Faced with this situation, health authorities are calling on the population not to give in to panic, but rather to strengthen compliance with the barrier measures put in place in order to protect themselves and others.
Samuel Manota
Dunguinfordc.com is a local online news site based in Dungu.
Nagero
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Translation Google
Haut-Uele: The rural health zone of Dungu has been affected by Ebola virus disease; panic is not an option, vigilance is still required.
Sep 19, 2026
The very first case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has just been confirmed in the rural health zone of Dungu, in the Haut-Uélé province, in the North-East of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to information received from medical personnel, the case was identified following the analysis of samples taken from a deceased young girl. The samples were collected in Nagero, the headquarters of Garamba National Park, located approximately 100 kilometers east of the city of Dungu.
Faced with this situation, health authorities are calling on the population not to give in to panic, but rather to strengthen compliance with the barrier measures put in place in order to protect themselves and others.
Samuel Manota
Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
North Kivu -
Translation Google
Butembo: New 80-bed Ebola treatment center opens
September 21, 2026
Butembo, September 21, 2026 (ACP) - A new 80-bed Ebola treatment center was put into service on Sunday during a ceremony in Butembo, North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, by the provincial government, thanks to support from Uganda, ACP observed.
“ We have just put into operation this Ebola treatment center which has a capacity of 80 beds. We also have a mobile laboratory which is here on site, all of this was done in collaboration between the government of the DRC and Uganda ,” said Ms. Prisca Luanda, principal coordinator of the provincial governor in charge of health after having inaugurated this health infrastructure.
“ All the staff here at the CTE will work in collaboration with the Congolese. The laboratory operating here at the Institute of Agricultural and Veterinary Technology (ITAV) cooperates with the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB). The governor of North Kivu province, Major General Évariste Somo Kakule, expressed his gratitude for this support, the result of advocacy that persuaded the Ugandans to support the response in the DRC ,” she added.
For his part, the chief medical officer of the provincial health division, Dr. Gaston Lubambo, indicated that a need for the construction of a transit center and a CTE had already been expressed as the occupancy of beds in the other CTEs was already saturated.
" Regarding the areas already affected, the construction of a transit center and a standardized treatment center had already been proposed, given that the overall bed occupancy rate was already 98%, so we were already saturated at nearly 100% occupancy. This center therefore responds to a project that had already been proposed ," he said.
The representative of the Ugandan Minister of Health, Dr. Ronald Baginture, expressed the wish to see this center continue to function normally even after the departure of the Ugandan medical staff before indicating that, thanks to the laboratory integrated into this health infrastructure, the results will each time be available within six hours after the receipt of the samples.
This new 80-bed Ebola Treatment Center, with integrated laboratory, is erected on the concession of the Agricultural and Veterinary Technical Institute (ITAV) Butembo, in the Butembo health zone and was built over 18 days with support from Uganda to provide an effective response to the Bundibugyo strain Ebola virus disease in this part of the country which has become the epicenter of the disease.
ACP/D.Nd. intern/kms
acp.cd
Translation Google
Butembo: New 80-bed Ebola treatment center opens
September 21, 2026
Butembo, September 21, 2026 (ACP) - A new 80-bed Ebola treatment center was put into service on Sunday during a ceremony in Butembo, North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, by the provincial government, thanks to support from Uganda, ACP observed.
“ We have just put into operation this Ebola treatment center which has a capacity of 80 beds. We also have a mobile laboratory which is here on site, all of this was done in collaboration between the government of the DRC and Uganda ,” said Ms. Prisca Luanda, principal coordinator of the provincial governor in charge of health after having inaugurated this health infrastructure.
“ All the staff here at the CTE will work in collaboration with the Congolese. The laboratory operating here at the Institute of Agricultural and Veterinary Technology (ITAV) cooperates with the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB). The governor of North Kivu province, Major General Évariste Somo Kakule, expressed his gratitude for this support, the result of advocacy that persuaded the Ugandans to support the response in the DRC ,” she added.
For his part, the chief medical officer of the provincial health division, Dr. Gaston Lubambo, indicated that a need for the construction of a transit center and a CTE had already been expressed as the occupancy of beds in the other CTEs was already saturated.
" Regarding the areas already affected, the construction of a transit center and a standardized treatment center had already been proposed, given that the overall bed occupancy rate was already 98%, so we were already saturated at nearly 100% occupancy. This center therefore responds to a project that had already been proposed ," he said.
The representative of the Ugandan Minister of Health, Dr. Ronald Baginture, expressed the wish to see this center continue to function normally even after the departure of the Ugandan medical staff before indicating that, thanks to the laboratory integrated into this health infrastructure, the results will each time be available within six hours after the receipt of the samples.
This new 80-bed Ebola Treatment Center, with integrated laboratory, is erected on the concession of the Agricultural and Veterinary Technical Institute (ITAV) Butembo, in the Butembo health zone and was built over 18 days with support from Uganda to provide an effective response to the Bundibugyo strain Ebola virus disease in this part of the country which has become the epicenter of the disease.
ACP/D.Nd. intern/kms
Butembo: mise en service d'un nouveau centre de traitement Ebola de 80 lits - ACP
Butembo, 21 septembre 2026 (ACP).- Un nouveau centre de traitement Ebola de 80 lits, a été mis en service dimanche, lors d'une cérémonie à Butembo, au Nord-Kivu, dans l'est de la République démocratique du Congo, par le gouvernement provincial, grâce à l'appui de l'Ouganda a constaté l'ACP...
acp.cd
Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Images translated by Google
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SitRep N°128/MVEBDB/19/09/2026
- September 21, 2026
- Posted by insp.cd
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Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Translation Google
DRC: MSF conducts major study on Ebola vaccination for frontline workers
21.09.2026
As the Bundibugyo virus Ebola outbreak continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and its epidemiology research center, Epicentre, are launching BRAVO, a prospective study on the vaccination of frontline workers, integrated into the response led by the Ministry of Health. To date, no vaccine or specific treatment is immediately available against the Bundibugyo virus.
Conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Africa CDC, the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), and several scientific partners, this study aims to document and evaluate the use of the ERVEBO® vaccine, the only vaccine currently available on a large scale with a well-established safety profile and extensive proven use in the DRC. However, this vaccine is licensed against the Zaire virus and not against Bundibugyo, the virus responsible for the current epidemic.
"Although ERVEBO was not initially developed to protect against Bundibugyo, some preliminary data suggest it could offer a degree of protection against this virus. In a race against time like the one the DRC is currently experiencing, we must use all the existing tools at our disposal. Even partial protection could help reduce severe forms of the disease and the number of deaths. However, these potential benefits must be scientifically demonstrated. That is precisely the goal of BRAVO."
- Guyguy Manangama, epidemiologist and deputy director of operations for MSF
Launched on September 19, 2026, at the World Health Organization (WHO)-run health worker training center in Bunia, the study will run for nine to twelve months, including three months for vaccination and at least six months for participant follow-up. It will target 20,000 frontline workers in Ituri and North Kivu, a population particularly exposed to the virus and essential to the epidemic response. The study will generate real-world data on the use of the ERVEBO® vaccine and its potential effectiveness in the current context of the epidemic outbreak.
Several specific vaccines against the Bundibugyo virus are under development and could be available in the coming months. The continuation and acceleration of these research efforts remain essential. In the meantime, ERVEBO is proposed as an interim measure, given its demonstrated safety and its approval by several leading regulatory authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency, and the World Health Organization.
Participation in the study and administration of the vaccine are entirely voluntary . This vaccination should be considered a complementary protective measure that may strengthen the response to the epidemic, but it does not replace proven infection prevention and control measures. All frontline workers must continue to use personal protective equipment, adhere to safe care procedures, and promptly report any symptoms.
“It is important to emphasize that this vaccine will not end the ongoing epidemic,” Guyguy Manangama points out. “However, it could offer additional protection to the most exposed personnel and contribute to strengthening response capacities, alongside other essential interventions.”
www.msf.ch
DRC: MSF conducts major study on Ebola vaccination for frontline workers
21.09.2026
As the Bundibugyo virus Ebola outbreak continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and its epidemiology research center, Epicentre, are launching BRAVO, a prospective study on the vaccination of frontline workers, integrated into the response led by the Ministry of Health. To date, no vaccine or specific treatment is immediately available against the Bundibugyo virus.
Conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Africa CDC, the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), and several scientific partners, this study aims to document and evaluate the use of the ERVEBO® vaccine, the only vaccine currently available on a large scale with a well-established safety profile and extensive proven use in the DRC. However, this vaccine is licensed against the Zaire virus and not against Bundibugyo, the virus responsible for the current epidemic.
"Although ERVEBO was not initially developed to protect against Bundibugyo, some preliminary data suggest it could offer a degree of protection against this virus. In a race against time like the one the DRC is currently experiencing, we must use all the existing tools at our disposal. Even partial protection could help reduce severe forms of the disease and the number of deaths. However, these potential benefits must be scientifically demonstrated. That is precisely the goal of BRAVO."
- Guyguy Manangama, epidemiologist and deputy director of operations for MSF
Launched on September 19, 2026, at the World Health Organization (WHO)-run health worker training center in Bunia, the study will run for nine to twelve months, including three months for vaccination and at least six months for participant follow-up. It will target 20,000 frontline workers in Ituri and North Kivu, a population particularly exposed to the virus and essential to the epidemic response. The study will generate real-world data on the use of the ERVEBO® vaccine and its potential effectiveness in the current context of the epidemic outbreak.
Several specific vaccines against the Bundibugyo virus are under development and could be available in the coming months. The continuation and acceleration of these research efforts remain essential. In the meantime, ERVEBO is proposed as an interim measure, given its demonstrated safety and its approval by several leading regulatory authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency, and the World Health Organization.
Participation in the study and administration of the vaccine are entirely voluntary . This vaccination should be considered a complementary protective measure that may strengthen the response to the epidemic, but it does not replace proven infection prevention and control measures. All frontline workers must continue to use personal protective equipment, adhere to safe care procedures, and promptly report any symptoms.
“It is important to emphasize that this vaccine will not end the ongoing epidemic,” Guyguy Manangama points out. “However, it could offer additional protection to the most exposed personnel and contribute to strengthening response capacities, alongside other essential interventions.”
RDC : MSF conduit une importante étude sur la vaccination des travailleurs de première ligne contre la maladie à Ebola
Alors que l’épidémie de maladie Ebola à virus Bundibugyo continue de se propager en République démocratique du Congo (RDC), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) et Epicentre, son centre de recherche en épidémiologie, lancent BRAVO, une étude prospective sur la vaccination des travailleurs de première...
www.msf.ch