Media: WHO weighs experimental vaccines as Ebola outbreak surges in DRC

Global health authorities are weighing the potential use of experimental vaccines and therapies to contain an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as case numbers and deaths continue to rise, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

According to The Guardian, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “deeply concerned” by the speed of the outbreak, which has so far recorded at least 500 suspected cases and around 130 suspected deaths since it was first reported last week. The figures represent a sharp increase from earlier estimates.

The outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has been linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease, for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists. Health officials are now reviewing candidate medical countermeasures still in development to assess whether they could be deployed under emergency conditions.

The WHO said it has deployed experts and supplies to affected areas, while surveillance, contact tracing and laboratory testing are being scaled up. Tedros warned that insecurity and population displacement in eastern DRC were complicating the response, with transmission risks heightened in urban and conflict-affected areas.

Health officials also reported suspected cross-border spread into neighbouring countries, including Uganda, with one confirmed case in Kampala and additional cases under investigation.

Humanitarian organisations operating in the region warned that fragile health systems and shortages of protective equipment for frontline workers could hinder containment efforts. The WHO said it was convening a technical group to assess potential diagnostics, vaccines and treatments for use in the current outbreak.