Uganda: U.S. Donates Experimental Antibody Treatment to Bolster Uganda's Fight Against Ebola

What the report says

The United States has delivered an experimental Ebola antibody treatment to Uganda’s Ministry of Health, a move reported by Nile Post and distributed by AllAfrica as part of broader regional preparedness efforts. The handover was made to Minister of State for Health in charge of Primary Health Care Dr Charles Ayume, and the medicine is being kept for possible immediate use if Ebola is detected in Uganda.

According to the report, Uganda does not currently have active Ebola cases, but officials are watching the border closely because of the outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo. Health authorities are concerned about cross-border spread due to movement between communities on both sides of the border. The U.S. said the donation is intended to help Uganda respond quickly if the virus crosses into the country.

The treatment, called MBP134, is an antibody-based countermeasure developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical with support from the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is described as available for compassionate use while research continues, but it is not an approved commercial Ebola treatment.

The donation adds to prior U.S. assistance for Ebola response in the region, including support to Uganda in 2025. The report said the United States has committed more than $619 million to Ebola response efforts across the region, underscoring the scale of international backing as surveillance and preparedness continue along the Uganda-DRC border.