AGP Executive Report

Ebola Response in East Africa: The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is accelerating across DR Congo and Uganda, with WHO warning the virus had a “big head start” and urging faster action, while Ghana updated its national preparedness plan and expanded surveillance, labs, and case management. Vaccine & Treatment Race: CEPI announced emergency funding for three investigational Bundibugyo vaccine candidates (IAVI, Moderna, and Oxford/Serum Institute), and WHO says promising products should be used only in clinical trials as no licensed options exist yet. Kenya Quarantine Controversy: Despite a Kenyan court order and protests, about 20 US flights reportedly delivered equipment and specialists to a planned 50-bed Ebola quarantine facility in Nanyuki, after which at least two protesters were killed. Security Hits Health Work: Rebel attacks around Beni in eastern DR Congo killed 30+ people and disrupted Ebola response efforts, deepening the challenge of contact tracing and care. Clean Mobility Investment: Spiro secured $215m equity to expand battery-swapping EV infrastructure across Africa, including Uganda, aiming to cut transport costs and boost local manufacturing.

Ebola Vaccine Push: CEPI has committed about $60m to fast-track three experimental vaccines against the rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain driving the DRC–Uganda outbreak, with candidates led by Moderna, Oxford and IAVI and Oxford’s vaccine to be manufactured by Serum Institute of India. WHO Travel Policy: WHO is urging countries to lift blanket travel restrictions tied to Ebola, warning they disrupt supply chains and slow response efforts. Outbreak Reality Check: WHO chief Tedros says the virus had a “big head-start,” with contact tracing still too low and community mistrust slowing containment. Kenya Quarantine Controversy: Reuters reports U.S. flights and equipment are still arriving in Kenya for a planned Ebola quarantine unit despite court orders and protests. Uganda Tech & Health Systems: Uganda is also tightening Ebola preparedness and travel measures, while Uganda’s digital economy keeps expanding—Bank of Uganda is set to reduce cash and cheque reliance as e-payments surge. EV Infrastructure Investment: Spiro secured $215m equity to scale battery-swapping and EV rollout across Uganda and other African markets. Energy Regulation: Uganda’s energy regulator push includes adding mining to regional energy regulators’ mandate to support critical minerals for the energy transition.

Ebola Vaccine Race: CEPI is fast-tracking three experimental vaccines against the rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain driving the DRC and Uganda outbreak, including an mRNA candidate from Moderna and an Oxford/ChAdOx1 programme backed for manufacturing by the Serum Institute of India, as WHO warns there are no licensed vaccines or treatments for this strain. Uganda Response: Uganda confirmed 6 new Ebola cases, bringing confirmed infections to 15, while placing 600+ contacts on a no-fly list and intensifying surveillance and contact tracing. Outbreak Reality Check: Reporting highlights diagnostic gaps and contact-tracing breakdowns in Congo, with cases spreading to more health zones as fear and misinformation complicate care-seeking. Health Tech Beyond Ebola: Kenya’s doctors are using virtual reality and telemedicine to tackle preventable maternal deaths, showing how digital tools can strengthen frontline healthcare. Trade & Tech for Growth: ITC and Equity Group signed a deal to expand trade finance and support for coffee, leather and creative industries across East Africa, linking skills and funding to help MSMEs scale. Clean Mobility Investment: Spiro secured $215m to expand electric mobility and battery-swapping infrastructure across African cities, boosting local energy and transport resilience.

Ebola Response in Uganda: Uganda confirmed 6 new Ebola cases, bringing the total to 15, as health authorities intensify contact tracing and supportive care; Travel Controls: 600+ Ebola contacts were placed on a no-fly list, and KLM suspended some flights to Entebbe due to Ebola-related entry restrictions; Vaccine & Treatment Race: WHO-backed efforts are pushing experimental options for the rare Bundibugyo strain, while CEPI pledged about $60m to accelerate Ebola vaccine development with partners including Moderna, Oxford and IAVI; Containment Challenges: Doctors in the DRC warn fear, misinformation, and insecurity are slowing surveillance and diagnosis, making outbreaks harder to control; Local Tech for Public Health: Uganda’s push for digital systems also shows up in agriculture—government plans an online coffee traceability system to meet export requirements; STEM Research in Uganda: A new study reports Uganda’s wild chimpanzees have permanently split into two communities, offering fresh clues on how social dynamics can drive violence.

Ebola Vaccine Race: CEPI is backing Moderna and other partners with about $60m to speed up Ebola Bundibugyo vaccine development as the DRC outbreak grows, with no licensed vaccine yet and Uganda reporting confirmed cases including a death. Oxford Manufacturing Push: Serum Institute of India will make clinical trial doses of an Oxford experimental Ebola vaccine, supported by up to $8.6m from CEPI, aiming to move toward early human testing. Uganda Education Integrity: ACCU highlights gaps in Uganda’s curriculum reform, citing shortages of materials, infrastructure and digital tools, and uneven rollout of the competence-based curriculum. Public Health Misinformation: Uganda’s Education Ministry dismisses viral claims that schools were closed over Ebola, pointing to recycled clips and misleading posts. Cross-Border Response Pressure: WHO chief Tedros visits the DRC, urging stronger health systems, community trust and international support as aid groups warn the outbreak may be far worse than official figures. Kenya Ebola Facility Backlash: Protests erupt in Nanyuki against a US-backed Ebola quarantine plan, while Kenya’s government defends it as part of disease surveillance capacity building. Transport Infrastructure: KeNHA starts feasibility work for the Mau Summit–Eldoret–Malaba highway PPP, linking Kenya with Uganda and the DRC.

Ebola Response in DRC & Uganda: The International Rescue Committee warns the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is likely far worse than official figures, citing delayed detection and weak contact tracing; Uganda has confirmed cases and a death, raising fears of wider regional spread. Vaccine Race (Bundibugyo strain): CEPI is funding three vaccine candidates for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain, including about $60m for Moderna and partners, with hopes for rapid trial readiness despite security hurdles. Treatment Options Under Scrutiny: Merck says it is discussing using its COVID antiviral molnupiravir (not an approved Ebola treatment) in the Ebola response, while WHO pushes clinical trials for candidate vaccines and investigational drugs. Public Health Pressure: WHO reports recoveries from the outbreak, but Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya stresses the lack of licensed Bundibugyo vaccines and intense cross-border movement could drive spread to many more countries. Clean Mobility Investment (Africa): Spiro secured $215m in equity to expand battery-swapping and electric mobility infrastructure across multiple African markets, including Uganda, aiming to scale manufacturing and energy access. Robotics Progress: A humanoid robot in Beijing completed a 21.1km half marathon in under 51 minutes, highlighting rapid advances in real-world robot navigation.

Forensic Science in Uganda: The remains of late musician Prince Paul Kafeero were exhumed for DNA testing to settle a long-running paternity dispute involving more than 20 young people, with samples collected under forensic protocols and set for analysis at Uganda’s Government Analytical Laboratory and Police Forensic Laboratory. Ebola Response in the Great Lakes: WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus visited Bunia as five Bundibugyo Ebola patients recovered after negative tests, while DRC and Uganda report rising confirmed and suspected cases; WHO is urging community trust and warning that border closures and travel bans can complicate control. Uganda–DRC Border Measures: Uganda closed its border with DR Congo as rare Ebola cases surge, with screening and supervised isolation for exceptions. Public Health Trials: WHO recommends trialing candidate vaccines, antivirals, and monoclonal antibodies, including a new post-exposure pill approach aimed at protecting people after exposure. STEM & Health Infrastructure: Kenya’s court fight over an Ebola quarantine facility and regional lab capacity plans highlights how preparedness is becoming a science-and-policy battleground. Business & Tech Pressure: Uganda’s business climate survey links Middle East conflict to higher fuel prices, raising transport and input costs for traders.

Ebola Update (DR Congo & Uganda): WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus visited Bunia as the rare Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak accelerates, urging community trust and warning that travel bans and border closures can reduce transparency; WHO says five patients have recovered and discharged, while confirmed cases and deaths keep rising and Uganda has reported confirmed cases too. Border & Travel Science: Uganda ordered an immediate closure of its border with DR Congo over Ebola risk, while Canada and the US tightened entry rules and discussed quarantine plans—moves experts say must be weighed against public health realities. Treatment & Vaccine Push: WHO is prioritising candidate vaccines and therapeutics for trials, and Chinese scientists report a broad-spectrum mRNA Ebola vaccine design that could target multiple strains, including Bundibugyo. Uganda Health Guidance: Uganda’s Ministry of Health advised Ebola survivors to avoid intimacy for up to six months or use condoms consistently, citing virus persistence in semen. Local STEM/Health Capacity: Uganda’s surveillance is being intensified in places like Nakonde as health systems try to track spread amid conflict-linked constraints. Business Impact (Fuel Prices): Uganda’s business climate survey links Middle East conflict to higher fuel and freight costs, squeezing traders and raising transport-driven commodity prices. STEM Funding (Kenya): Kenya’s AfDB borrowing includes a major STEM infrastructure push for public universities, underscoring continued investment in science capacity.

Ebola Response in DRC-Uganda: WHO chief Tedros visited Bunia as the Bundibugyo outbreak accelerates, with 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths reported in DRC and Uganda confirming cases and deaths; WHO says the outbreak “can be stopped” but warns response is strained by conflict, displacement, weak isolation systems, and community distrust. Vaccine & Treatment Push: WHO prioritised candidate vaccines and three experimental treatments for clinical trials, including Oxford/Serum Institute vaccine candidates and therapies such as Regeneron’s maftivimab and remdesivir, while Chinese scientists reported a broad-spectrum mRNA Ebola vaccine aimed at multiple strains. Public Health Guidance in Uganda: Uganda’s Ministry of Health advised Ebola survivors to abstain from sex for up to six months or use condoms consistently, citing virus persistence in semen even after blood tests turn negative. One Health Risk Link: Experts highlighted how hunting, butchering, and processing wild animals can raise zoonotic spillover risks, urging a One Health approach. Policy & Travel Friction: WHO criticised travel bans as fear-driven, while Uganda’s border actions and US plans for quarantine facilities faced legal and scientific debate. STEM & Innovation Beyond Health: Kenya’s AfDB borrowing rose sharply, including a loan earmarked for modernising STEM infrastructure in public universities; Rwanda also signed a nuclear cooperation deal with Russia focused on nuclear science and nuclear medicine.

Ebola Response in DRC-Uganda: WHO chief Tedros arrived in Kinshasa to back the fight against a rare Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, saying it “can be stopped” but is “very complex” amid conflict, displacement, food insecurity, distrust, and attacks on health facilities; WHO reports 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths in DRC, with confirmed cases also in Uganda, while Uganda steps up border surveillance and public guidance for prevention. Treatments and Vaccines: WHO prioritised two candidate vaccines (including Oxford/Serum Institute’s ChAdOx1 Bundibugyo and IAVI’s rVSV Bundibugyo) and named key experimental therapies for clinical trials, including Regeneron’s maftivimab and Gilead’s remdesivir, plus MBP134. Wild Meat and One Health: Experts link Ebola risk to hunting, butchering, and processing wild animals, warning that bans alone can backfire on food security. Cross-border Policy Debate: Uganda’s border closure with Congo and proposals to quarantine exposed travellers in Kenya face criticism for relying on geography over stronger surveillance and response capacity. Uganda Tech/Health Adjacent: EAC regulators met on harmonised mobile roaming to cut connectivity costs, while Uganda also pushes consumer education on counterfeit lubricants. Other STEM Signals: Rwanda-Russia nuclear cooperation points to a possible research reactor and nuclear medicine hub.

Ebola Response in Focus: WHO says the DRC’s rare Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak “can be stopped,” reporting 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths, plus a first confirmed survivor discharged after two negative tests. Clinical Trials Push: WHO prioritised two candidate vaccines (rVSV Bundibugyo; ChAdOx1 Bundibugyo) and fast-tracking three experimental treatments—MBP134, maftivimab, and remdesivir—strictly within monitored clinical trials. Uganda Border Measures Under Scrutiny: A report questions Uganda’s decision to close its Congo border as a main control strategy, arguing surveillance, isolation, and response capacity matter more. Regional Tech & Health Systems: EAC regulators met in Dar es Salaam to advance a harmonised, affordable mobile roaming framework—supporting cross-border connectivity for trade and services. Local STEM-Adjacent Safety: TotalEnergies Uganda intensified the Wininii campaign to help motorists spot counterfeit lubricants, warning that fake oils can damage engines and raise road-safety risks. Food Tech Angle: Freeze drying is highlighted as a potential way to cut post-harvest losses and extend shelf life without heavy refrigeration.

Ebola Response in Focus: WHO says Bundibugyo Ebola in DRC can be stopped, but warns the “security conflict,” displacement, food insecurity, and mistrust are slowing containment; it also urges that candidate vaccines and treatments be used only in clinical trials, prioritising MBP134, maftivimab and remdesivir, plus candidate vaccines for prevention. Uganda in the Mix: New cases have been reported in Uganda as WHO and partners push surveillance, rapid testing, contact tracing, and community-led response. Travel & Screening Shockwaves: Emirates issued an Ebola travel advisory for passengers linked to Uganda as the US and Canada tighten airport screening and entry rules; Canada also suspended visas for some Ugandans, Congolese and South Sudanese already in Canada, effectively blocking travel. Health Tech & Research Moves: WHO and partners are coordinating trial readiness, while biotech updates highlight WHO-backed evaluation of Ebola antibodies and antivirals. Agriculture & Capacity Building: Over 800 farmers in northern Uganda received coffee-growing training to boost incomes, alongside broader push for practical, science-led livelihoods.

Ebola Response in Uganda & DRC: Uganda has temporarily closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo as the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak grows, allowing only emergency work, humanitarian operations, cargo and security—while arrivals face strict 21-day self-isolation. WHO Guidance on Treatments: WHO says experimental Ebola treatments and vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain should be used only in clinical trials, prioritizing candidates for testing, as the outbreak nears 1,000 suspected cases. New Countermeasures Spotlight: Regeneron’s maftivimab is flagged by WHO for clinical trial evaluation, alongside other prioritized options for treatment and prevention. Travel Screening Escalates: The U.S. adds JFK Airport to enhanced Ebola screening for travelers from affected countries, joining other major airports. Regional Preparedness: Africa CDC warns the outbreak could spread to up to 12 countries, citing gaps in vaccine and targeted treatment for Bundibugyo. Local Health Infrastructure: Busia County sets up an Ebola isolation centre in Alupe with life-support equipment, trained staff and sample testing capacity. Governance & Tech Oversight: President Museveni suspends top Internal Affairs and police officials over a Shs31b CCTV scandal tied to Huawei-linked surveillance camera maintenance.

Ebola Emergency in East Africa: Uganda has ordered the immediate closure of its border with DR Congo as the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak surges, with Ugandan health workers reportedly exposed after cross-border movement before the May 15 declaration; WHO says border closures are usually fear-driven and can push people into unmonitored crossings. Vaccine Race: Oxford researchers are accelerating a Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine effort, aiming for clinical testing or emergency evaluation within months as WHO warns the outbreak is spreading faster than response capacity. Cross-Border Response Pressure: Reports say the US plans to quarantine and, if needed, treat Americans exposed to Ebola in Kenya rather than repatriating them, raising questions about biosafety capacity and standards. Policy & Science Tension: Alongside outbreak control, the week also flagged how AI “humaniser” tools are pushing higher education assessment redesign needs, and how global investment gaps (like Africa’s small share of energy funding) can limit health and tech resilience.

Ebola Response in Uganda-DRC: Uganda ordered an immediate closure of its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo as a rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain spreads, with WHO warning border shutdowns can push people and goods into unmonitored crossings. Public Health Under Strain: WHO says the outbreak is spreading faster than response efforts, with cases topping 1,000 and deaths rising, while attacks on health facilities and conflict-linked mobility complicate containment. Vaccine and Treatment Gaps: Reports highlight there’s no approved vaccine or treatment for Bundibugyo yet, as Oxford and other teams race toward trials and new platforms, including thermostable vaccine approaches aimed at easier logistics. Cross-Border Travel Controls: Canada and Thailand tightened entry rules with 21-day isolation/quarantine for travellers from affected countries, while the U.S. plans to send exposed citizens to Kenya for observation and treatment. Tech for Health and Beyond: Uganda’s science ecosystem also shows up in the week’s coverage, from digital payments expansion (PayPal USD access across 70 markets including Africa) to environmental DNA wildlife monitoring in Rwanda.

Ebola Alarm, Uganda in the spotlight: A Ugandan woman quarantined in Bengaluru, India, has tested negative for Ebola, but India has kept screening and surveillance tight as the WHO flags the Congo–Uganda outbreak as a public health emergency. Vaccine race: Oxford University says a Bundibugyo-targeted vaccine could enter trials in 2–3 months, while other labs are pushing antiviral options. Aid pressure: The International Rescue Committee warns the outbreak could become the deadliest on record as cases rise and resources shrink. Uganda cabinet shake-up: President Museveni dropped 28 ministers, retaining key leaders including VP Alupo and PM Nabbanja, with health leadership shifting as Dr Aceng moves to ICT and Dr Baryomunsi takes Health. Regional tech push: The EAC is consulting on a harmonised mobile roaming framework to cut cross-border telecom costs. Security tech & governance: Uganda’s gaming regulator says oversight must become technology-led with real-time monitoring. Drug bust: India’s Gujarat ATS and Coast Guard seized nearly 119kg of cocaine near Mundra, linked to a route involving Uganda.