Africa CDC warns funding shortfall hampers Bundibugyo Ebola clinical trials

ADDIS ABABA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Tuesday warned that clinical trials of therapeutics for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain are "at risk of collapse" without immediate financing.

Commending the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), clinical investigators, and development partners for the launch of clinical trials this week to evaluate candidate therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain in the DRC's Bunia health zone, the Africa CDC appealed in a statement for an urgent 18 million U.S. dollars in financing to close a funding gap that hampers a "critical research ready to commence."

"Clinical trials for Ebola therapeutics must begin this week. No licensed vaccine or treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain, and without immediate financing the response is at risk of collapse," the African Union's specialized continental public health agency warned.

The agency noted that critical gaps remain for therapeutics trials and urged bilateral and multilateral partners "to close the funding gap within days."

"The ongoing Bundibugyo outbreak is unlike recent Ebola epidemics. The absence of any licensed vaccine or therapeutic for this strain makes it a scientifically and operationally challenging outbreak," the Africa CDC said, warning that the phenomenon threatens further spread of the outbreak, exacerbates the humanitarian crisis, and risks regional and international transmission.

The clinical trials came as the Ebola outbreak continues to expand in the DRC and Uganda, while several critical operational challenges have raised concerns that the outbreak could spiral out of control.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya described the absence of a licensed strain-specific vaccine or therapeutic treatment for the rare Bundibugyo strain as "the most critical operational challenge" affecting the ongoing Ebola response. Enditem