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Africa CDC questions Western efforts, praises regional solidarity at $518 million Ebola continental response plan launch

"Dr Jean Kaseya, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on Friday called out the lack of vaccines and treatments for Ebola Bundibugyo almost two decades after the strain was detected, suggesting there would have been greater efforts to develop one if the outbreaks had occurred in the West. “Did you know for 19 years that we know this Bundibugyo outbreak? Why we don't have vaccines and medicines? Do you think if this outbreak was in Western countries will not have vaccines and medicines?" he questioned. Kaseya said that the outbreak was 'very serious' compared with previous outbreaks, with 397 confirmed cases and 63 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda so far. Addressing the launch of the Ebola Continental Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, Kaseya and World Health Organization officials said that misinformation, mistrust, limited access due to security concerns and late detection were posing grave challenges. "Some of them, they told me, will not follow you, will destroy everything because we know these countries, they already have that. They need to come to give us that. So many reasons of mistrust and misinformation," he warned. Kaseya said that the CDC is working with CEPI, Gavi, WHO, the Gates Foundation, and others regarding vaccines. "We cannot accept again to see an outbreak in Africa without this kind of MCM. The same for therapeutics. I want to thank Egypt. They are manufacturing. They already sent in a quantity of that to DRC, and this is what we call solidarity," he explained. He added that the organisation respected Kenyan authorities' plan to establish 23 Ebola preparedness and isolation centres across the country. "This plan paid 23 centres for isolation and treatment. Then there was an offer made by the US. One of the 23 centres can be used rather than sending people to Europe," he added. Africa CDC and WHO today launched a joint six-month preparedness and response plan for the ongoing Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus. The plan aims to raise $518 million (€449.38 million) to support African countries and partners to prepare for, rapidly detect, and respond to the outbreak."