The Gavi Alliance for Vaccines has announced the launch of an extraordinary contribution of nearly 11 million euros to strengthen the response to the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus. This support will be articulated through the shipment of vaccines to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the strengthening of routine immunization programs in other countries.
Of this amount, 6 million euros will be allocated to the purchase of 70,000 doses of the "Ervebo" vaccine, coming from the global reserve of Ebola vaccines. In addition, another 5 million euros have been released from Gavi's First Response Fund with the aim of supporting countries and their partners in protecting immunization services in high-risk areas and in preparing for future vaccination campaigns against Ebola.
"This new funding will help save lives, keep other deadly diseases at bay, and support the deployment of the Ervebo vaccine, which has shown promising signs in early data by providing protection against the Bundibugyo virus," said Gavi's CEO, Sania Nishtar.
The increase in investment in "Ervebo" doses comes after the International Coordination Group for Vaccine Supply (ICG), responsible for managing the use of Gavi-funded global vaccine reserves in health emergencies, decided to allocate an initial shipment of 70,000 doses of "Ervebo" to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
As Gavi points out, the strong safety demonstrated by the "Ervebo" vaccine, already successfully used against several outbreaks of the Zaire species of Ebola, combined with early indications that it could reduce severe cases and mortality associated with the disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus, make it a key tool for saving lives in what is already the largest recorded Ebola outbreak in the history of the DRC.
With these vaccines available immediately in the global reserve, their distribution could be organized quickly, and administration would be carried out following the guidelines of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (WHO SAGE).
Strengthening the response to outbreaks
Within this package, Gavi will inject 5 million euros to safeguard immunization services and prepare the ground for vaccination against Ebola, framed within a global commitment of up to 43 million euros through Gavi's First Response Fund, announced last May.
Of those 5 million euros, around 3.5 million will be directed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in order to ensure the continuity of vaccination programs for more than 1.17 million children under two years old in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, and Alto Uele.
These resources will also allow the DRC to improve the monitoring and reporting of immunization programs, as well as strengthen the involvement of local communities, with the purpose of sustaining trust in vaccination campaigns.
Alongside the aid allocated to the DRC, 1.3 million euros from the First Response Fund will be used to finance technical support from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), WHO, and UNICEF to the affected countries and the region as a whole.
Finally, 400,000 euros will be reserved to bolster systematic immunization and optimize information systems in Uganda, in addition to preparing the country for a possible future deployment of Ebola vaccines.