Uganda's eighth Ebola outbreak, driven by a new Sudan variant, has sparked a scramble for funding to combat the spread amid growing alarm over two deaths linked to the virus since an official alert was declared on January 29.
The United Nations made an emergency appeal recently to raise US $11.2 million for Uganda's public health response, which has been constrained by the new Donald Trump administration in the US cutting foreign aid.
Ugandan health authorities recognise the urgency in addressing the aggressive virus, which has claimed hundreds of lives since its initial emergence in the East African nation in 2000.
Dozens have been infected in the latest outbreak and healthcare workers have been employing vigorous contact tracing mechanisms to stop further infections.
In a statement, the UN said its funding estimate was meant to cover the Ebola response from March to May in seven high-risk districts.
"The goal is to rapidly contain the outbreak and address its impact on public health and socio-economic life of the affected people," said Kasonde Mwinga, Uganda's representative to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Ugandan health authorities, however, acknowledge that it could be a while before the planned global response materialises.
Since time is of the essence in combating any public health threat, what's happening within Uganda could well be the crux of this battle against a virus that has repeatedly ravaged parts of the continent over the decades.
Testing vaccine efficacy
In cooperation with local researchers and WHO, Uganda launched the first-ever clinical efficacy vaccine trial for the Sudan variant of Ebola on February 3.
WHO acknowledged the "unprecedented speed" with which the trial was carried out by principal investigators from Uganda’s Makerere University and the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI). WHO and other partners provided support for the initiative.
Makerere University is the East African nation's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922. It is now regarded as a cradle for the finest talent and presides over dozens of health science colleges.
Currently, there is no FDA-licensed vaccine for the Sudan virus, making the successful trial in Uganda all the more significant.
"Vaccine efficacy is measured in a controlled clinical trial and based on how many people who got vaccinated developed 'outcome of interest' (usually, disease), compared with how many people who got the placebo (dummy vaccine) developed the same outcome," Dr Lazarus Kalu, a Nigerian virologist, explains to TRT Afrika.
"Once the study is complete, the numbers of sick people in each group are compared, and we get an efficacy number — a measure of how much the vaccine lowered the risk of getting sick. If a vaccine has high efficacy, fewer people in the group who received the vaccine would get sick than those who received the placebo or fake vaccine."
Seeing a silver lining
For weeks, health funding cuts from western donors have raised concerns on the continent, especially recent announcements such as the recent scrapping of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
However, scientists like Prof Joseph Okeibunor, team lead for Research in Emergency Preparedness and Response at WHO Africa, are unfazed. He believes the funding cuts have come with a silver lining.
"There is now a greater stimulus to move fast because with what has happened in Uganda, other countries now know it is possible; they now believe we can do this on our own," Okeibunor tells TRT Afrika.
At the just-concluded Africa Health Agenda International Conference 2025 in Rwanda, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, WHO's acting regional director for Africa, called for stronger, self-reliant health systems across the continent.
"We must map funding gaps and work closely with African governments to find sustainable solutions. The focus must shift toward internally driven strategies while remaining open to strategic collaborations."
Rwanda's minister of health, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, is convinced that the time has come for the continent to prioritise "homegrown solutions" and "strengthen innovations".
Okeibunor cautions that for these solutions to work, African health leaders must first agree to fast-track regulatory approval for vaccines and ensure swift deployment, especially during emergencies.
"Challenges related to ethics and regulatory approval must be quickly resolved. We often find processes being delayed, with reviews running into months and sometimes into years. We must always be ahead and ready for outbreaks," he tells TRT Afrika.
No wonder health agencies across the board are commending Ugandan health authorities for racing the clock in preparation for any eventuality.
Virologist Lazarus Kalu believes this could be a model for other African nations to emulate.
"We need to integrate vaccine management processes into national preparedness plans and scale up local production of these vaccines to ensure affordable pricing and sufficient supply for at-risk populations," he says.
With most disease outbreaks, such as cholera, Lassa fever and Mpox being seasonal or recurrent, Okeibunor advises "stockpiling of vaccines for emergency deployment"
Back in Uganda, researchers anxiously await the trial results. If successful, WHO believes the initiative could significantly improve outbreak control measures and facilitate the future regulatory approval of a candidate vaccine across Africa.
