The World Health Organization laid out a six-month plan to contain the current Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in Africa, including a major scale-up of point-of-care molecular diagnostics. WHO said it will expand use of a KH Medical RadiOne system and strengthen reference laboratory capacity for testing and sequencing-based surveillance. WHO estimated the investment needed at about $518 million. The plan is being coordinated with the Africa CDC, FIND, Unitaid, and local governments, with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasizing speed, coordination, and consistency. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya noted the outbreak’s scale already exceeds prior Bundibugyo epidemics at similar time points, with 397 cases and 63 deaths reported so far and a current fatality rate of about 16%.
Get the Daily Brief