Congo seeks US monoclonal antibody for Bundibugyo Ebola strain
Red Cross workers in protective gear load the coffin carrying Dr Tibenderana Katho Blaise, who worked at the Centre Medical Evangelique in Hoho commune and died of Ebola, onto a pickup truck before his burial in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 26, 2026, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain the latest outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain.
In the absence of a vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola currently spreading in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Congolese government is seeking access to an experimental monoclonal antibody developed in the United States.
Public Health Minister Roger Kamba, speaking at a press conference alongside Communication and Media Minister Patrick Muyaya, said Kinshasa had formally requested access to a monoclonal antibody developed and tested against the Zaire, Sudan and Bundibugyo Ebola strains.
