Ebola: US donates death-preventing treatment to Uganda

The United States government has donated vials of an experimental Ebola antibody treatment, MBP134, to Uganda’s ministry of Health, with the treatment showing potential to prevent deaths among Ebola patients.

Dr Charles Ayume, state minister for Health in charge of primary health care, received the vials on behalf of the government and described the donation as a critical safeguard for Ugandan families.

Although Uganda currently has no active Ebola cases, an ongoing outbreak of the Bundibugyo species in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) poses a serious and immediate health security risk.

According to US officials, the DRC outbreak had grown into the largest recorded outbreak of Ebola outside West Africa, with more than 4,500 confirmed cases and over 2,000 deaths as of mid-August 2026.

“This donation reflects our commitment to Uganda’s health security, because a safer Uganda means a safer world. By helping Uganda act within hours rather than days, the United States is also protecting Americans. An outbreak anywhere is a threat everywhere,” US Chargé d’Affaires Mikael Cleverley said.

How MBP134 works

MBP134 was developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical under a contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), an agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services.

The antibody is designed to act faster than the body’s natural immune response by recognising and neutralising the Ebola virus rather than waiting for the body to develop its own immunity over days or weeks.

Pre-clinical studies have shown MBP134 to be effective against multiple Ebola species, including the Bundibugyo species responsible for the current outbreak in the DRC.

For a disease with limited treatment options, the antibody offers an additional tool for doctors responding to suspected cases.

MBP134 is not commercially available and is being provided for compassionate use, allowing doctors to administer it to critically ill patients while research into its effectiveness continues.

Regional response

The donation is part of broader US efforts to strengthen Ebola preparedness and response in the region. The United States has announced more than $619 million in funding to countries in the region to support Ebola response activities, including preparedness, surveillance and outbreak control.

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