A South African-based human rights organization has called on the international community to urgently fund the development of a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, arguing that decades of underinvestment in diseases predominantly affecting African populations have left Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo vulnerable to repeated outbreaks.
The Human Rights Association (HRA), an initiative of the WeCare Foundation, made the appeal amid a growing outbreak of Bundibugyo ebolavirus that has affected both Uganda and the DRC and prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in May.
According to the HRA, the outbreak has highlighted a significant gap in global health preparedness, with no approved vaccine, specific treatment, or rapid diagnostic test currently available for the Bundibugyo strain.
The organization is urging G7 governments, the European Commission, and major international health donors to provide emergency funding for vaccine development and clinical trials.
Concerns Over Vaccine Inequality
HRA Chairman Saad Kassis-Mohamed said the absence of a vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain reflects a broader pattern of neglect within the global health research system.
“Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks since 2000, yet there is still no vaccine for the strains that have repeatedly affected the country,” Kassis-Mohamed said.
He argued that the rapid development of vaccines for the Zaire strain of Ebola following the 2014–2016 West African epidemic demonstrated what can be achieved when significant international resources are mobilized.
“The international community developed vaccines after Ebola reached Western countries. However, the strains that continue to affect Uganda and the DRC have not received the same level of investment. This raises important questions about equity in global health research,” he added.
WHO Emergency Declaration
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, citing concerns over cross-border transmission and the absence of targeted medical countermeasures.
Health authorities report that the outbreak originated in eastern DRC before spreading to multiple health zones and crossing into Uganda.
While containment efforts have focused on surveillance, contact tracing, isolation, and supportive treatment, experts acknowledge that the absence of vaccines makes outbreak control more challenging.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has previously noted that the lack of approved vaccines and treatments for certain Ebola strains increases the complexity of emergency response efforts.
Uganda’s Experience with Ebola
Uganda has earned international recognition for its ability to contain Ebola outbreaks through rapid response mechanisms, community engagement, and robust surveillance systems.
However, the country has experienced several outbreaks involving different Ebola species, including the Sudan and Bundibugyo strains, for which no licensed vaccines currently exist.
Public health experts have long argued that vaccine research should focus not only on strains perceived as global threats but also on those that continue to affect communities in Africa.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) recently announced plans to accelerate work on several investigational Bundibugyo vaccine candidates, although none have yet entered advanced clinical development.
Call for International Action
The HRA is calling for emergency research funding, equitable access guarantees, and stronger international commitments to vaccine development under the International Health Regulations.
The organization argues that future responses to global health emergencies should include not only outbreak containment measures but also binding commitments to research and development.
Among its recommendations are accelerated funding for Bundibugyo vaccine candidates, increased investment in vaccines for Sudan ebolavirus, and mechanisms to ensure that any successful vaccine is made available to affected countries at affordable cost.
Balancing Urgency and Preparedness
Health experts caution that vaccine development is a complex scientific process that requires rigorous testing to ensure safety and effectiveness. Even with emergency funding, bringing a vaccine from research to approval can take considerable time.
Nevertheless, the current outbreak has reignited debate about whether diseases primarily affecting low-income countries receive sufficient research attention before crises emerge.
For Uganda and the DRC, the discussion is no longer purely academic. As health authorities continue efforts to contain the outbreak, calls are growing for long-term investments that could prevent future epidemics from finding populations without adequate medical protection.
The latest appeal places renewed pressure on global health institutions, donor governments, and pharmaceutical researchers to address what advocates describe as one of the most significant blind spots in international epidemic preparedness.
