Hope in Bunia: First Ebola Vaccine Trial Launches in DR Congo's Worst Outbreak

Hope in Bunia: First Ebola Vaccine Trial Launches in DR Congo's Worst Outbreak

First shots given in the outbreak's epicenter

The first clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's ongoing outbreak began on Friday, October 23, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on social media. The first participants were vaccinated in Bunia, capital of the northeastern Ituri province and the epicenter of the epidemic. The Phase 2/3 study, called Tumaini — "hope" in Swahili — is the first time candidate vaccines have been put to a clinical test inside this outbreak.

Testing a licensed vaccine against an unlicensed foe

The trial's first candidate is Ervebo, a vaccine licensed against Ebola disease caused by the Zaire virus. Its efficacy against the Bundibugyo virus behind the current epidemic has never been established, and that gap is exactly what Tumaini is designed to close: assessing whether Ervebo offers cross-protection against the Bundibugyo species. The study is co-led by the DRC's National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) and the Global Health Institute of the University of Antwerp, funded and supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), with the WHO, the DRC Ministry of Health and other partners involved.

"Science gives us hope," says WHO chief

"Science gives us hope. Today, in Bunia DRC, the first participants were vaccinated in a new Ebola vaccine trial called Tumaini, which means 'hope' in Swahili," Tedros wrote on X. Steve Ahuka-Mundeke, the DRC Ebola response incident manager, said bringing the trial into the response was "an important step toward addressing the urgent needs of affected communities."

Nearly 10,000 cases across eight provinces

The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, and two days later the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern, its second-highest alert level. The epidemic is the country's worst on record: confirmed cases have passed 9,700 and deaths exceed 4,600, a crude fatality ratio near one in two. Transmission has reached 66 health zones in eight provinces, with Ituri alone accounting for almost three quarters of confirmed cases. Related cases have also been reported in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and France. About 30,000 contacts are being monitored each day over a three-week follow-up period.

Two Bundibugyo-specific vaccines to join next

Two vaccine candidates developed specifically against the Bundibugyo virus are expected to enter Tumaini shortly: an mRNA jab from Moderna and a ChAdOx1 adenoviral-vector jab from the University of Oxford in collaboration with the Serum Institute of India, both funded by CEPI. The trial uses a ring-vaccination approach, immunizing high-risk contacts of confirmed cases, and will evaluate safety, immunogenicity and efficacy. Notably, pregnant women and children aged 12 and older are included — populations usually excluded from clinical studies. Evidence from Tumaini is expected to inform decisions on using the candidates during the current outbreak and to strengthen preparedness for future epidemics.