More than 560 people have been infected and over 100 have died in the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, and now there is fresh momentum to change that story. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, known as CEPI, has committed $1.9 million toward accelerating the development of an Ebola vaccine.
The investment signals a growing urgency around Ebola preparedness, particularly as the Bundibugyo strain has proven both deadly and difficult to contain. Funding of this kind is critical to moving experimental vaccines from the lab closer to the communities that need them most.
For Africa, where Ebola outbreaks have historically caused the deepest harm, this kind of international investment in vaccine research is a step in the right direction. Whether it translates into a deployable solution quickly enough is the question worth watching.
Originally published by Premium Times.