Uganda has begun an emergency clinical trial for the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus vaccine after an outbreak in the country.
According to BBC, Uganda on Monday, February 3, 2025, launched a clinical trial for the Ebola vaccine after the virus claimed the first life of a 32-year-old male nurse last week.
During the clinical trial, a dose of vaccine developed by a global non-profit organisation, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, was given to the initial participants who are currently in isolation after contacting the virus.
Uganda is currently experiencing the sixth outbreak of the disease. As per Uganda's health ministry, there are currently 234 confirmed contacts in the monitoring list.
Moreover, according to the United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO), the Sudan Ebola virus is a fatal variant and has a record of killing at least 40% of those infected.
WHO is collaborating with Uganda's Ministry of Health, the Uganda Virus Research Institute, and the Makerere University Lung Institute to conduct the first clinical trial of the vaccine.
WHO director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said, “This marks a major milestone in public health emergency response and demonstrates the power of collaboration for global health security. If proven effective, the vaccine will further strengthen measures to protect communities from future outbreaks."
Notably, there is no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain of Ebola. The only vaccine that exists for a different type of Ebola, called the Zaire strain, has been used in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
