Bunia:The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced the commencement of the first clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine aimed at addressing the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

According to Wam, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on X that the initial participants in Bunia, DRC, have been vaccinated in a new Ebola vaccine trial named Tumaini, which translates to 'hope' in Swahili.

The outbreak in DR Congo is the most severe in the country's history, with over 9,700 reported cases and more than 4,600 fatalities. The trial began with the administration of the first dose of the Ervebo vaccine in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, which is the epicenter of the outbreak.

Tedros explained that the trial would assess whether the vaccine candidates designed for the Bundibugyo virus are effective, alongside testing the existing Ervebo vaccine. Ervebo, which is approved for the Zaire strain of Ebola, will be part of a large-scale clinical trial to evaluate its cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain.

The trial will follow a "ring vaccination" strategy, focusing on contacts at higher risk of infection, including pregnant women and children aged 12 and above. Preparations are also underway to incorporate two vaccines specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain, both of which are in smaller, early-stage clinical trials. One vaccine is being developed at the University of Oxford, and the other by US biotechnology company Moderna using mRNA technology.