A clinical trial for a potential vaccine against Sudan virus disease (SVD) has commenced in Uganda, following the country’s confirmation of a Sudan Ebola outbreak last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, described the trial as a “major milestone” in the fight against public health emergencies, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration in strengthening global health security.
“If proven effective, the vaccine will enhance efforts to protect communities from future outbreaks,” Moeti stated on X.
WHO, in partnership with Ugandan health authorities, is intensifying measures to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread. As part of this effort, the global health body has provided Uganda with 2,160 doses of the candidate vaccine, along with additional medical treatments.
The outbreak was confirmed after a 32-year-old male nurse died at Uganda’s main referral hospital in the capital, Kampala, last week. This marks the country’s sixth reported Sudan Ebola outbreak, with previous cases recorded in 2000, 2011, 2012, 2022, and 2025. The last major outbreak in late 2022 resulted in 55 fatalities.
Sudan virus disease, a highly fatal hemorrhagic fever caused by the Sudan Ebola virus, presents symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, fatigue, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes a rash. Despite ongoing research, there is currently no approved vaccine against the Sudan Ebola virus, according to WHO.