Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a public-private partnership global health organisation, has announced an additional $7 million in funding to support the fight against the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

According to a statement on Thursday, the new funding would provide 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine through the global Ebola vaccine stockpile.

The organisation also approved a $6 million disbursement from Gavi’s First Response Fund to help countries and partners protect immunisation services in high-risk areas and lay the groundwork for Ebola vaccination.  

Gavi chief executive officer Sania Nishtar said the new funding would help “save lives, keep other deadly diseases at bay and support the rollout of the Ervebo vaccine, which has shown promising signs in early data of offering protection against Ervebo vaccine.” 

“Given the severity of this outbreak, it is important every tool we have is brought to bear to prevent loss of life and ease suffering,” Ms Nishtar added.

The International Coordination Group on Vaccine Provision (ICG), which oversees the use of Gavi-funded global vaccine stockpiles for outbreak response, decided to allocate the tranche of 70,000 Ervebo doses to DRC.

According to the group, the confirmed safety of the vaccine to fight several Ebola Zaire outbreaks, alongside the early evidence that it could help reduce severe illness and deaths from BVD, made it an essential tool to save lives amid what has become the largest Ebola outbreak in DRC’s history. 

“With these vaccines readily available through the stockpile, deployment could happen rapidly, with administration based on guidance from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (WHO SAGE),” it said.

Gavi said it would provide $6 million to protect immunisation services and prepare for Ebola vaccination, adding that the move is part of a broader commitment of about $50 million through the Gavi First Response Fund made in May.  

“Of the total $6 million, approximately $4 million will help DRC ensure the continuity of immunisation services to more than 1.17 million children under the age of two across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Haut-Uele provinces,” Gavi stated.

“This is vital given the experience of the West African Ebola epidemic, when the collapse of routine immunisation resulted in a comparable number of children dying from measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases,” it added.

The organisation said the fund would help strengthen DRC immunisation monitoring and reporting, as well as community engagement, to foster confidence in vaccination services. 

“Alongside funding to DRC, $1.5 million from the FRF allocation will fund Africa CDC, WHO and UNICEF’s technical support to countries and the region.

“A further $500,000 will be invested in strengthening routine immunisation and improving data systems in Uganda, as well as preparing for potential future Ebola vaccine deployment,” it added.