25 August 2026
One hundred days into the Bundibugyo Ebola virus (BDBV) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, the response has demonstrated how much can be achieved when preparedness, science and international collaboration come together.
In a new opinion published by the International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat (IPPS), Dr Mona Nemer, Chair of IPPS and Chief Science Advisor of Canada, and Dr Yenew Kebede Tebeje, Head of the Division for Laboratory Systems at Africa CDC, reflect on the progress made during the first 100 days of the outbreak and the gaps that remain.
The response has moved at unprecedented speed. Vaccine and therapeutic trials were initiated within weeks of the emergency declaration, laboratory testing capacity expanded rapidly, and genome sequencing began within 72 hours. These achievements were made possible by scientific and regulatory groundwork, established partnerships and the growing capacity of African institutions.
The experience also highlights important gaps in preparedness. There is still no licensed vaccine, approved treatment or true point-of-care diagnostic for Bundibugyo Ebola. Ensuring that promising medical countermeasures can be manufactured at scale and made accessible to affected communities remains critical.
The authors argue that the next phase must focus not only on sustaining the current response, but also on investing in diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines, clinical-trial capacity and regional manufacturing before the next outbreak occurs.
As the article highlights, we have shown that we can move fast. The challenge now is to ensure that the investments, systems and partnerships are in place to move even faster next time.
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Read the full opinion on IPPS website >> A hundred days into an Ebola outbreak, the world moved fast. But the gaps that remain should worry us all
