CEPI allocates $3.9M to fight Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in DRC
CEPI announced $3.9 million in funding for three research projects to track and combat the Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The largest project, B-REACT led by Congo’s Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, gets $2.5 million to build a real-time epidemic intelligence platform using surveillance, lab, genomic and movement data. Imperial College London receives $1.1 million for mathematical modelling of outbreak scenarios and vaccine trials, while Makerere University in Uganda gets $300,000 to model ring‑vaccination strategies. The funding comes as the DRC outbreak worsens: over 7,200 confirmed cases and more than 3,500 deaths have been recorded, with weekly cases in North Kivu nearly doubling from about 100 to over 200 in the past two weeks. No licensed vaccine exists specifically for the Bundibugyo strain. Beyond health, the UN warns an uncontrolled spread could cost Africa up to $3.6 billion in lost output and jeopardize 328,000 jobs, with the DRC alone facing potential losses exceeding $1 billion and 55,000 jobs. For Nigerians, the outbreak highlights regional health risks given cross‑border travel and trade; staying alert to symptoms, avoiding non‑essential travel to affected zones, and supporting strong surveillance systems can help mitigate spread. The investment also strengthens local analytical capacity that may benefit future responses across the continent.