Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, has pledged $50 million to fight the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
From its First Response Fund, $40 million will be made available to fast-track access to investigational vaccine doses and eventual approved vaccines for the Bundibugyo virus, for which no licensed vaccines or therapeutics currently exist.
An additional $10 million will be released immediately to support outbreak response and protect routine immunization services in affected countries.
Dr. Sania Nishtar, Gavi's CEO, stated that while a safe and effective vaccine is still some way off, the alliance must act now to ensure manufacturers are ready to produce doses at scale once candidates are proven.
The $40 million surge financing will allow manufacturers of leading vaccine candidates to commit to high-capacity manufacturing. As clinical trials show positive results, investigational doses could be rapidly deployed under WHO guidance and national approvals.
Gavi will finalize a financial mechanism in coming weeks, working with CEPI, WHO, Africa CDC, and UNICEF. This effort is part of a broader push that includes $61.8 million in emergency funding from CEPI to Moderna, the University of Oxford, and IAVI for vaccine development.