Gavi commits additional funding for Ebola response

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance announced on 20 August 2026 in Geneva additional funding to support the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak response, according to a press release. New funding of US$ 7 million will be deployed to provide 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine through the global Ebola vaccine stockpile. A further US$ 6 million from Gavi’s First Response Fund has also been approved to help countries and partners protect broader immunization services in high-risk areas. The allocation will also lay the groundwork for Ebola vaccination in affected regions. Together, the two commitments aim to curb what has become the largest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s history.

The investment in Ervebo vaccines follows the decision by the International Coordination Group on Vaccine Provision (ICG) to allocate an initial tranche of 70,000 Ervebo doses to DRC. The ICG manages the use of Gavi-funded global vaccine stockpiles for outbreak response. Ervebo has been successfully used to fight several Ebola Zaire outbreaks, and early evidence suggests it could help reduce severe illness and deaths from BVD. With vaccines readily available through the stockpile, deployment could happen rapidly. Administration will be based on guidance from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (WHO SAGE).

The US$ 6 million allocation forms part of a wider commitment of up to US$ 50 million through the Gavi First Response Fund made in May. Of that total, approximately US$ 4 million will help DRC ensure the continuity of immunization services for more than 1.17 million children under the age of two. These services will cover Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Haut-Uele provinces. The funding will also help DRC strengthen immunization monitoring and reporting, and community engagement to maintain confidence in vaccination services. This priority reflects experience from the West African Ebola epidemic, when the collapse of routine immunization resulted in a comparable number of children dying from measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Alongside funding to DRC, US$ 1.5 million from the FRF allocation will fund Africa CDC, WHO and UNICEF’s technical support to countries and the region. A further US$ 500,000 will be invested in strengthening routine immunization and improving data systems in Uganda. That funding will also support preparations for potential future Ebola vaccine deployment.

Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said: “This new funding will 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 Bundibugyo.” She added that “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.”

The additional commitments reinforce Gavi’s role in coordinating outbreak response through the global Ebola vaccine stockpile, launched in 2021 and maintained at 500,000 Ervebo doses. Lower-income countries eligible for Gavi support receive doses for free, alongside financing for outbreak response vaccination activities. The stockpile has previously been used to conduct four campaigns in response to Ebola Zaire outbreaks in the DRC, most recently in September 2025, when over 47,000 individuals were rapidly vaccinated. Approximately 55,000 frontline workers in Ituri and North Kivu have previously received Ervebo through preventive vaccination campaigns launched in 2023. With these new resources in place, Gavi and its partners are positioned to accelerate the response and protect essential immunization services across affected areas.