The Democratic Republic of the Congo is set to begin a trial of the Ervebo vaccine, which is effective against the Zaïre species of Ebola, to assess its efficacy against the Bundibugyo strain currently causing an outbreak. The World Health Organization reports a rapid increase in infections, with nearly half of the 2,500 deaths occurring in the last 20 days, marking this outbreak as the deadliest in the country's history.
As the WHO allocates 20,000 doses for the trial and 50,000 for health workers, the M23 rebel group has imposed movement restrictions in North Kivu to curb the virus's spread. This situation underscores the challenges of managing health crises amid ongoing conflict, complicating the response efforts in affected regions.