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The world’s first clinical trial of a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola has officially begun, marking a milestone in global efforts to contain an outbreak that has now killed more than 700 people across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

The early-stage trial will enroll 50 healthy adults to assess the vaccine’s safety and immune response, with the Serum Institute of India having already manufactured and stockpiled approximately 620,000 doses in anticipation of later-stage trials and potential emergency use.

Separately, the WHO-sponsored PARTNERS clinical trial — launched on July 2 in Ituri province — has begun testing two antiviral therapies, the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and remdesivir, to identify the first ever evidence-based treatments for the Bundibugyo virus, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment.

With over 1,500 confirmed cases and ongoing conflict hampering containment, MENA countries — several of which have already enacted travel restrictions — continue to closely monitor developments.

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