| Issue/Objective |
Africa faces more public health emergencies than any other continent, with over 100 significant incidents annually. The continent has seen an upsurge in deadly infectious disease outbreaks over the past decade. The devastating Ebola outbreak in West Africa between 2013 and 2016 killed over 11,000 people, while more recently, Ebola, mpox and Marburg outbreaks continue to pose serious threats to global health security. |
| Methodology/Approach |
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and other Canadian funders have supported efforts to strengthen research readiness in Africa to enable timely and equitable responses to infectious disease outbreaks. Specifically, we have supported the acceleration of vaccine trials during outbreaks with a view to empowering local scientists and ultimately, preventing the loss of lives and livelihoods. This paper presents lessons learned from over a decade of supporting Ebola vaccine trials in Africa. |
| Results |
During the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, it took several months for local and international scientists to set up a vaccine trial. At the time, there was no known vaccine for the Zaire strain of Ebola responsible for that outbreak. IDRC and international partners funded a successful trial, resulting in the Ervebo vaccine, now a global mainstay in Ebola response efforts. In Uganda, a 2022 outbreak of the Sudan strain of Ebola required a new vaccine, taking over 70 days to set up a trial, during which lives were lost. The trial did not commence as the outbreak was contained through other measures. In January 2025, another Sudan Ebola Virus outbreak in Uganda saw a vaccine trial set up in just four days, thanks to the support of IDRC and Canadian funders. |
| Discussion/Conclusion |
Our experience with supporting Ebola vaccine trials shows that accelerating research readiness and response during outbreaks is feasible. The rapid setup of the Sudan Ebola virus vaccine trial in Uganda was due to preparatory work by the Ministry of Health, local scientists, World Health Organization, and other partners between the first and second outbreaks. This included developing pre-approved vaccine trial protocols, training local scientists, mobilizing international vaccine developers, and engaging regulatory authorities to ensure a rapid response free from lengthy bureaucratic processes. |
| Presenters and affiliations |
Adrijana Corluka International Development Research Centre (IDRC) |
