The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has committed $3.9 million to strengthen epidemic intelligence and modelling for the Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak response in Africa.

CEPI said in a statement on Thursday that the funding would support three research projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

The projects will analyse surveillance, laboratory, genomic and population-movement data to provide real-time insights, guide outbreak response and support clinical trials of Bundibugyo virus vaccine candidates.

CEPI said more than 7,200 confirmed cases and over 3,500 deaths had been reported as of September 13, adding that no licensed vaccine was available for the virus.

It said the projects would strengthen regional analytical capacity and promote open sharing of data, models and methods to improve preparedness for future filovirus outbreaks.

CEPI’s Head of Data Science and Advanced Analysis, Dr Arminder Deol, said timely evidence was essential for effective outbreak decisions and appropriate deployment of public-health interventions.

He stated, “By backing modelling and analytics teams based in the affected countries, we are helping to answer urgent questions, like where the virus is spreading, how fast. How best to evaluate and deploy vaccines and other tools.”

The first project, Real-Time Epidemic Intelligence and Trial Readiness for the Bundibugyo Virus Response in the DRC (B-REACT), is led by the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB).

According to the statement, CEPI is committing $2.5 million over 12 months to combine surveillance, laboratory, genomic and mobility data into a real-time epidemic intelligence platform.

The project will guide the response, inform vaccine trials and strengthen analytical capacity in the DRC, while supporting evidence-based decisions during the ongoing outbreak.

It will be implemented with the Institut National de Santé Publique, the World Health Organization (WHO), Imperial College London, the University of Oxford, Institut Pasteur, Bluesquare and Flowminder.

Head of Epidemiology and Global Health at INRB, Prof. Placide Mbala-Kingebeni, said B-REACT would embed real-time modelling into the national response led by Congolese scientists.

The second project, Bundibugyo Response and Investment Decision-support: a Generalisable Framework for Outbreak Analytics and Vaccine Portfolio Strategy (BRIDGE), is led by Imperial College London.

For this, CEPI is committing $1.1 million over 12 months to model outbreak scenarios, simulate vaccine trials and assess vaccine investment options for Bundibugyo virus.

According to CEPI, the project will also develop a continuously updated repository of Bundibugyo virus epidemiological parameters for the wider response community and outbreak researchers.

It will be implemented with INRB, the Institut National de Santé Publique, the University of Kinshasa, Université d’Orléans and WHO to strengthen modelling and analytical collaboration.

, Associate Professor of Infectious Disease Modelling at Imperial College London, Dr Anne Cori, said modelling would help convert incomplete outbreak data into evidence for decision-makers during rapidly evolving emergencies.

She said the project would examine transmission dynamics, forecast possible outbreak trajectories and assess the value and costs of vaccine candidates to guide development and deployment decisions.

The third project, Ring Vaccination and Vaccine-Design Modelling, is led by Makerere University School of Public Health in Uganda to strengthen outbreak response and vaccine planning.

The statement said CEPI was committing $300,000 over 12 months to model ring-vaccination strategies, estimate vaccine-dose needs and assess trial feasibility for Bundibugyo virus.

According to it, ring vaccination involves vaccinating contacts of a confirmed case and their contacts to create a protective ring around the case and reduce transmission.

It said the project would also use bioinformatics to identify potential vaccine targets and assess possible cross-reactivity with other ebolavirus species for vaccine development.

The project would also train nine Ugandan public health fellows in mathematical modelling, bioinformatics and data analytics to strengthen local technical capacity for outbreaks.

CEPI said the project would bring together Uganda’s Ministry of Health, the University of Cape Town’s Modelling and Simulation Hub, Africa, the University of California, Berkeley, the Kinshasa School of Public Health and the African Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data Intensive Sciences.

Co-lead of the project’s Mathematical Modelling Unit, Mr Abel Walekhwa, said the initiative would support vaccine planning, trial design and future outbreak preparedness in Uganda and beyond.

CEPI said the three awards were made under its Epidemiology, Modelling and Analytics workstream, following a call for proposals to generate evidence for Bundibugyo virus vaccine research and development.

It added that the projects complemented its investment in five investigational vaccine candidates, two of which were already in Phase One clinical trials as part of development efforts.

According to the statement, a Phase Two/Three efficacy trial is expected to begin as soon as possible after recommendations by the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Candidate Vaccine Prioritisation and regulatory approval.

CEPI said the investments would provide evidence on where and how vaccine candidates could have the greatest impact as they progressed towards late-stage trials and potential emergency use authorisation.

It described the epidemic as the second-largest and fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history, stressing the need to strengthen public-health responses and accelerate medical countermeasure development.

CEPI said its Bundibugyo virus vaccine development programme was funded by the European Commission through its 2026 Horizon Europe grant to CEPI, the U.S. Department of State and existing core funding.

CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic and civil organisations working to accelerate vaccine development against epidemic and pandemic threats globally.

Its mission is to accelerate development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats, ensuring they can become accessible to all people in need.

(NAN)