Uganda has launched a trial for a vaccine against the Sudan strain of Ebola after a new outbreak killed one person and infected two others.
The first trial participant, currently in isolation, received a dose on Monday. The vaccine, developed by the International Aids Vaccine Initiative, aims to combat the deadly strain, which has no approved vaccine.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Uganda’s health ministry are overseeing the trial, targeting 40 close contacts of the first victim. Authorities are monitoring 234 contacts overall.
WHO Africa Director Matshidiso Moeti called the trial a “major milestone” in global health security. If successful, it could help prevent future outbreaks.
Uganda, facing its sixth Ebola outbreak, previously saw over 70 deaths from the Sudan strain in 2022. The country received 2,160 trial vaccine doses over the weekend, with researchers swiftly preparing for rollout.
