Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Kaseya suggested that the disease had not received sufficient attention from international partners because it was largely perceived as an African problem.
“If this outbreak was in Western countries, vaccines would already be available,” he said.
Kaseya explained that although the Ebola strain responsible for the 2014–2016 West African epidemic has a licensed vaccine, Ervebo, no vaccine has been approved for the Bundibugyo strain.
He disclosed that Africa CDC had commenced clinical trials for new vaccine candidates, including one developed in Egypt, in a bid to address the gap.
The Africa CDC chief also expressed concern over the scale of the outbreak, citing more than 9,500 infections and approximately 4,600 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Meanwhile, Nigeria reportedly confirmed its first case on Tuesday in a woman who arrived from Uganda on October 3. Authorities have placed 44 contacts under monitoring.
