Bundibugyo Ebola: ANRS MIE strengthens research coordination in Kinshasa

Strengthening international coordination of filovirus research

The mission brought together key stakeholders involved in coordinating filovirus research, including the World Health Organization (WHO) (Dr Vaseeharan Sathiyamoorthy), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) (Dr Mosoka Papa Fallah), and ANRS MIE on behalf of CORC Filovirus. Together, they met with Congolese health authorities to support research activities as part of the response to the Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease outbreak.

Discussions were held with representatives of the Ministry of Health, the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) and the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) to strengthen research efforts related to the outbreak response.

During his mission, Professor Yazdan Yazdanpanah also met His Excellency Rémy Maréchaux, French Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the presence of Dr Lazare Agbahoungba, Regional Adviser for Global Health. The meeting provided an opportunity to present French research initiatives aimed at supporting efforts to address the Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease (BDBV) outbreak.

The EBO-PEP project: towards new prevention strategies against Bundibugyo Ebola

Among these initiatives is the EBO-PEP project, funded by the European Commission through the Global Health EDCTP3 partnership. The project aims to improve the therapeutic management of filovirus infections by evaluating a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) strategy for high-risk contacts of patients infected with the Bundibugyo Ebola virus.

This project is being implemented in partnership with the national institutions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda involved in the response effort, together with ALIMA (The Alliance for International Medical Action) and Médecins Sans Frontières, and in close coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The principal investigators are Professor Placide Mbala (National Institute for Biomedical Research, Kinshasa), Professor Pauline Byakika (Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda), and Dr Marie Jaspard (Saint-Antoine Hospital, Inserm UMR 1136 IPLESP, Paris).

The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss the repositioning of the EPAMACO project, which was initially dedicated to mpox, to contribute to efforts against Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease. The project has two main objectives: strengthening diagnostic and molecular characterisation capacities for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, and improving estimates of its actual circulation through serological surveys.