Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has announced US$13 million in additional funding to strengthen the response to the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including financing for 70,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine and support to protect routine childhood immunisation services.
By Ajong Mbapndah L
The new package includes US$7 million to finance the shipment of 70,000 Ervebo doses from the global Ebola vaccine stockpile to the DRC, alongside US$6 million from Gavi’s First Response Fund to reinforce routine immunisation, strengthen outbreak preparedness and support countries at risk of further spread.
The announcement comes as health authorities and international partners intensify efforts to contain what Gavi described as the largest Ebola outbreak in the DRC’s history, with the Bundibugyo strain presenting fresh challenges for communities already facing insecurity, displacement and pressure on health services.
“This new funding will help save lives, keep other deadly diseases at bay and support the rollout of the Ervebo vaccine, which has shown promising signs in early data of offering protection against Bundibugyo,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
“Given the severity of this outbreak, it is important every tool we have is brought to bear to prevent loss of life and ease suffering,” she added.
70,000 Vaccine Doses Approved for DRC
The International Coordination Group on Vaccine Provision, which oversees the use of Gavi-funded global vaccine stockpiles during outbreaks, has approved an initial allocation of 70,000 Ervebo doses for the DRC.
Ervebo has previously been used successfully against outbreaks caused by the Zaire Ebola virus. Gavi said its established safety profile, together with early evidence suggesting it could reduce severe illness and deaths linked to Bundibugyo virus disease, makes it an important potential tool in the current emergency.
Because the vaccines are already available through the global stockpile, deployment could take place rapidly. Administration will be guided by recommendations from the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation.
The global Ebola vaccine stockpile is maintained at approximately 500,000 Ervebo doses, with some supplies permanently pre-positioned in the DRC because of the country’s history of recurrent Ebola outbreaks.
The stockpile has previously supported four Ebola Zaire vaccination campaigns in the DRC. In the most recent campaign in September 2025, more than 47,000 people were vaccinated.
Protecting 1.17 Million Children
Beyond the immediate Ebola response, Gavi said a major priority is preventing the outbreak from disrupting routine vaccination programmes and exposing children to other deadly diseases.
Approximately US$4 million of the new funding will support the continuity of immunisation services for more than 1.17 million children under the age of two in Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Haut-Uele provinces.
Mobile vaccination teams will be supported to reach communities in high-risk areas with routine vaccines, vitamin A and deworming services. The funding will also strengthen monitoring, reporting and community engagement aimed at maintaining public confidence in vaccination.
The intervention reflects lessons from the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic, when severe disruption to routine health services contributed to deaths from measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Gavi warned that insecurity, population displacement and fear associated with the current outbreak could discourage caregivers from seeking basic health services, potentially triggering additional outbreaks and preventable deaths.
Uganda, Africa CDC, WHO and UNICEF to Receive Support
The funding package extends beyond the DRC, reflecting concern about regional preparedness and the risk of cross-border transmission.
Africa CDC, WHO and UNICEF will receive US$1.5 million to provide technical support to affected and high-risk countries. The assistance will cover coordination, monitoring, reporting, vaccine supply-chain readiness, community engagement and preparations for possible Ebola vaccination campaigns.
Uganda will receive an additional US$500,000 to strengthen routine immunisation and health data systems in areas considered at highest risk of importing Bundibugyo virus disease from the DRC.
The Ugandan funding will also support efforts to build community confidence and prepare for the possible future deployment of Ebola vaccines should the epidemiological situation require it.
The latest allocation forms part of a broader commitment of up to US$50 million from Gavi’s First Response Fund to support accelerated access to vaccines, outbreak-response activities and the protection of routine immunisation services during the Bundibugyo emergency.
Lessons From Past Ebola Outbreaks
The current response highlights how significantly Ebola preparedness has changed since the devastating 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, when no approved vaccine was available at the beginning of the crisis.
During that outbreak, Gavi committed financing that helped make 300,000 investigational doses of the then-candidate Ervebo vaccine available for emergency use. The alliance later supported the establishment of a permanent global Ebola vaccine stockpile.
Following regulatory approvals for Ervebo, the global stockpile was formally launched in 2021 and is now financed by Gavi. Decisions on its deployment are coordinated through an inter-agency mechanism involving WHO, UNICEF, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Médecins Sans Frontières, with Gavi participating as an observer.
The stockpile can be accessed by countries around the world during outbreaks. Gavi-eligible lower-income countries receive vaccines free of charge together with financial support for vaccination activities, while other countries reimburse the alliance for doses used.
Preventive vaccination has also become an increasingly important part of Ebola preparedness. Since Gavi launched a preventive Ebola vaccination programme in 2023, approximately 55,000 frontline workers in Ituri and North Kivu have received Ervebo vaccination.
Broader Push to Keep Health Systems Functioning
Gavi said protecting routine immunisation during the Bundibugyo outbreak is essential because Ebola emergencies can weaken already fragile health systems far beyond the immediate effects of the virus.
The new resources are expected to help countries maintain essential vaccination programmes while strengthening surveillance, logistics, data systems and community engagement needed for a possible wider Ebola vaccine response.
For the DRC, where recurrent infectious disease outbreaks overlap with insecurity and displacement in several eastern provinces, maintaining public trust in health services will be particularly important.
Since its creation in 2000, Gavi says it has helped immunise more than 1.2 billion children and prevented more than 20.6 million future deaths. The alliance also finances international vaccine stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal disease and yellow fever as part of its broader role in global health security.
