The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended a Phase III trial of an Ebola vaccine to test whether it can protect against Bundibugyo virus disease.

WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, disclosed this in a video posted on his official X account on Thursday.

Ghebreyesus said two vaccines specifically developed against the Bundibugyo virus had entered Phase I safety trials in humans. At the same time, new animal studies had shown promising evidence that Ervebo, an Ebola vaccine, could also provide cross-protection against the virus.

He said the findings prompted WHO to recommend Ervebo for inclusion in a Phase III trial, which the organisation hopes to begin as soon as possible.

However, it is not yet known whether Ervebo can protect humans against Bundibugyo virus disease.

Mr Ghebreyesus said the Phase III trial would help establish whether the vaccine is safe and effective and could provide evidence needed to make it available for the current outbreak and future outbreaks.

No licensed vaccines

The development comes as the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the DRC has become the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.

As of Thursday, the country had recorded 4,449 confirmed cases and 2,061 deaths across five provinces and 53 health zones, according to the WHO.

The health agency said the outbreak was spreading faster than any previous Ebola outbreak at the same stage and could surpass the 2014–2016 West African outbreak, which remains the largest on record, with more than 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths reported in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Bundibugyo virus is one of the viruses in the Ebola family that can cause severe and often fatal disease in humans.

Unlike Ebola virus disease caused by the Ebola virus, there is currently no licensed vaccine specifically approved for the prevention of Bundibugyo virus disease.

WHO said in June that Ervebo, the only licensed and WHO-prequalified Ebola vaccine, is approved for Ebola virus disease but not for Bundibugyo virus disease.

The current outbreak was first detected in the DRC in May, following an unexplained cluster of deaths in Ituri Province that was investigated. Laboratory testing confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease, prompting the DRC government to declare its 17th Ebola outbreak.

Uganda also confirmed imported cases linked to the outbreak in the DRC. WHO subsequently determined that the outbreak in the two countries constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Previous Bundibugyo virus outbreaks have had case fatality rates between 30 and 50 per cent, according to the WHO.

PREMIUM TIMES reported on 9 August that WHO had already recommended Ervebo for evaluation in a randomised clinical trial after reviewing evidence suggesting that it could provide some protection against Bundibugyo virus.

Treatment advancement

Mr Ghebreyesus also disclosed progress in research into treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease.

He said a WHO-sponsored partners trial had reached 100 patients.

The trial is assessing potential treatments for the disease and is intended to generate evidence on which therapies can improve outcomes for infected patients.

READ ALSO: DRC Ebola outbreak becomes second-largest on record WHO

Mr Ghebreyesus said the milestone showed that research could be mobilised rapidly and responsibly even during a difficult outbreak.

He called on partners to support and accelerate the vaccine trial, while emphasising that the response requires collaboration among the DRC government, WHO, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other partners.

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has taken a major step towards transforming the way Nigerian domestic football is watched, promoted and commercialised, with NPFL Chairman Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye unveiling a landmark YouTube live-streaming partnership with Murphy Ben International (MBI).

The partnership, officially unveiled at a special signing ceremony, is designed to take NPFL matches directly to the screens of millions of fans through mobile phones, televisions, laptops and other internet-enabled devices, while opening a new chapter in digital broadcasting, storytelling, fan engagement and commercial development for the league.

Describing the occasion as a landmark moment for the NPFL, Elegbeleye said the partnership was the actualisation of the league’s vision to bring its matches closer to supporters wherever they may be.

For years, one question has continued to frustrate NPFL followers: “Where can we watch the NPFL?”

According to the Chairman, that question now has a loud answer.

“There will be no more excuses of ‘I didn’t see the match,’” Elegbeleye declared, announcing that fans will have access to selected live match coverage and delayed broadcasts on the official NPFL YouTube channel, free and in HD.

The agreement followed weeks of discussions between the NPFL and Murphy Ben International, including meetings in Abuja and a visit to MBI’s corporate headquarters in Lagos, as both organisations worked towards creating a digital platform capable of taking Nigerian league football to a much wider audience.

Elegbeleye said the importance of the partnership goes beyond simply broadcasting matches.

He explained that the new digital strategy will create new revenue opportunities, greater visibility and stronger commercial prospects for NPFL clubs, while providing players with a global platform to showcase their talent and giving fans the opportunity to follow their clubs from virtually anywhere in the world.

The Chairman said the NPFL identified Murphy Ben International as a partner that shares its ambition to revolutionise Nigerian domestic football and make the league globally accessible, just as Nigerian music and Nollywood have successfully taken the country’s culture to international audiences.

MBI, through its digital and technical expertise, will support the NPFL with improved production and distribution capabilities, while the partnership will also focus on telling the stories behind the league.

Speaking at the ceremony, MBI Director for Corporate Affairs Chioma Obioke said the partnership was built around a shared vision to create a wider audience for the NPFL and make the league more commercially viable.

She explained that the objective is not simply to broadcast football matches, but to celebrate Nigerian football talent and showcase the league to Nigerians at home, the Nigerian diaspora and football lovers around the world.

The MBI representative stressed that the partnership would focus on digital broadcasting, storytelling, promotion, fan engagement and commercial partnerships, creating an opportunity to tell the stories of the NPFL, its clubs, players, coaches and supporters to a much larger audience.

“This partnership is not just about the broadcasting of the matches,” she noted. “It is more also about telling, letting the world know what NPFL has been doing.”

That approach could prove particularly significant for a league that has produced generations of outstanding players and clubs but has struggled to consistently deliver its stories and matches to a global audience.

Under the new arrangement, the NPFL plans to provide live match coverage and delayed broadcasts of multiple games every matchday through its official YouTube channel.

The production will go beyond simply placing cameras around the pitch. According to Elegbeleye, fans can expect professional commentary, graphics, replays, user-generated content and behind-the-scenes material, creating a viewing experience designed to make supporters feel as though they are inside the stadium.

The Chairman also referenced the test run conducted during the final-day match in Lagos between Ikorodu City and Rangers International, which he said demonstrated the potential of the new production model.

The commercial possibilities are equally significant.

Elegbeleye said the digital platform would create opportunities for clubs to benefit from revenue generated through views, advertising and sponsorships, potentially providing another sustainable source of income while making NPFL clubs more attractive to commercial partners.

For the players, the platform could provide something equally valuable: exposure.

A talented NPFL player who previously might have been seen only by supporters inside Nigerian stadiums could now potentially be watched by fans, scouts and football stakeholders around the world.

For the supporters, meanwhile, the message from the league is simple: distance should no longer be a barrier to following Nigerian football.

From Lagos to London, Abuja to Atlanta, Enugu to Johannesburg, the NPFL is positioning itself for a future in which its matches and stories can travel wherever the internet reaches.

MBI also acknowledged the support of its Chairman, Murphy Ben, whose encouragement was described as instrumental to the project, while the NPFL delegation included members of the league’s board and management, media and operational teams.

For Elegbeleye, however, the ultimate beneficiary remains the football fan.

“And to the fans — this is for you,” he said. “The NPFL is coming to your screen.”

He concluded with a powerful declaration that perhaps best captures the significance of the new partnership:

“The future of football is digital, and the NPFL is not going to be left behind.”

With the partnership now unveiled, Nigerian domestic football is entering a potentially transformative phase—one where broadcasting, technology, storytelling and commercialisation come together to create a bigger and more accessible NPFL.

The ambition is no longer simply to play the games.

It is to take the games to the world, tell the stories behind them, grow the clubs, expose the talent and build the NPFL into a stronger commercial football brand.