Clinical trials of a vaccine candidate developed in Egypt are among efforts to tackle the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention challenges the international health community over the lack of preventive options for the variant.

Africa CDC Director-General, Dr Jean Kaseya, disclosed the development during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, identifying the vaccine research as part of efforts to close a critical gap in the response to the disease.

Kaseya criticised the disparity in global attention given to health emergencies, arguing that the absence of a vaccine for the strain reflects a lack of urgency towards diseases predominantly affecting African populations.

He maintained that a similar outbreak in Western countries would attract a faster response, with vaccines likely to be made available much sooner.

The Bundibugyo strain presents a particular challenge because vaccines developed for other Ebola strains cannot automatically be assumed to protect against it. The ongoing trials are therefore important to determining whether new candidates can provide a safe and effective means of protection.