The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday called for $18 million in urgent funding to support trials of experimental Ebola treatments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, warning that delays could jeopardise efforts to contain the outbreak.

The appeal comes as clinical trials evaluating potential therapies are due to begin this week in Bunia, capital of Ituri province, where the first cases involving the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola were confirmed.

The programme is testing Gilead Sciences' oral drug obeldesivir to prevent infection in people exposed to the virus and remdesivir and Mapp Biopharmaceuticals' antibody to reduce mortality among infected patients, the Africa CDC said.

The programme also includes accelerated development and manufacturing of next-generation Bundibugyo-specific vaccines, the agency added.

Underfunded trials

Africa CDC said funding for vaccine-related studies was largely in place, but therapeutic trials remained underfunded.

"We have the science. We now need the funding to use it. Clinical trials must start this week, and every day of delay costs lives we could save," said Dr. Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC.

The agency called on governments, development banks, philanthropic organisations and other partners to provide $16 million within days to continue the obeldesivir study and an additional $2 million to $3 million for contact tracing.

Africa is working with partners such as the World Health Organization, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to assemble "one of the fastest scientific mobilizations ever mounted against a newly emerging Ebola strain," it said.

⁠The Democratic Republic ⁠of the Congo says confirmed ‌Ebola cases in the country have reached 1,307 and include ⁠377 deaths.

In an update issued late on Monday, the country said the confirmed cases ⁠have been ⁠recorded ⁠in three provinces – Ituri, ‌North Kivu and ‌South ‌Kivu.