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Uganda begins Ebola vaccine trial after new outbreak

Uganda begins Ebola vaccine trial

The first patient, a 32-year-old male nurse, died last week.

On Monday, the initial participant in the trial, who is currently in isolation, received a dose of the vaccine, which was developed by the International Aids Vaccine Initiative, a global non-profit organisation.

There is currently no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain of Ebola. One does exist, however, for the Zaire strain, which has been prevalent in the past in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Symptoms of Ebola infection include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, and internal and external bleeding.

It is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissues.

The Sudan Ebola virus is severe, killing at least 40% of those infected, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Uganda is currently experiencing its sixth outbreak of the disease.

Forty contacts of the first victim of this outbreak will be vaccinated in this phase of the roll-out jointly conducted with the Ugandan authorities and the WHO, the UN agency said in a statement on Monday.

Uganda’s health ministry has confirmed 234 contacts as listed for monitoring.

The WHO is collaborating with Uganda’s ministry of health, the Uganda Virus Research Institute, and the Makerere University Lung Institute to conduct the trial.

“This marks a major milestone in public health emergency response and demonstrates the power of collaboration for global health security,” said WHO director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti.

“If proven effective, the vaccine will further strengthen measures to protect communities from future outbreaks.”

The previous outbreak of the Sudan strain in Uganda was confirmed in September 2022 and resulted in more than 70 deaths. It was declared over in January 2023.

Although Uganda had access to the same candidate vaccine at the time, trials could not be conducted before the outbreak ended.

Over the weekend, the first 2,160 doses of the trial vaccine and treatments arrived in the capital, Kampala.

Health authorities and research teams worked swiftly to prepare for the trial, including briefing researchers, arranging logistics and developing study protocols.

 

Source: bbc.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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