MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, in collaboration with the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), launched an innovative study titled “Advancing Vaccine Development: Harnessing Multiple Antigenic Epitopes for Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in humans and animals.”
The study launch event was held on Wednesday, 18th September, at Lake Victoria Hotel, Entebbe. This two-year study aims to combat the escalating public health threat posed by Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), a tick-borne viral disease affecting both humans and livestock, particularly in Uganda’s livestock farming regions.
The primary focus is the development of a multivalent vaccine, representing a significant stride towards addressing zoonotic diseases and contributing to Uganda’s overarching public health strategy.
During the launch, Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu, the Director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), noted that Uganda would utilize the chimpanzee adenoviral vector platform, initially developed for COVID-19 vaccines for this new project.
In addition, he said that this platform was funded by the Science Technology and Innovation office of the president, with President Yoweri Museveni pushing for local vaccine production capabilities.
“Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is highly fatal, with a mortality rate of 10% to 40% among those infected. The virus affects both humans and animals, although animals often show no symptoms. However, infected animals can suffer from abortions, and the disease is transmitted through ticks or contact between infected animals and humans,” Prof. Kaleebu highlighted.
He also remarked that despite its presence in Uganda’s cattle corridor, no vaccine or treatment currently exists for the disease, and therefore welcomed the project with a supportive pledge.
Dr. Sheila Balinda, the principal investigator, highlighted that the World Health Organisation has classified CCHF as a priority disease due to its potential for rapid geographic spread, further emphasizing the need for a vaccine.
She also noted that the project is supported by Innovate UK with over USD 2 million dollars and the Medical Research Council from London and is part of Uganda’s broader effort to enhance its capacity for vaccine research and development.
The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance Committee (PF-AMR), Dr. Charles Ayume, emphasized the importance of new and optimized vaccines and stated the importance of government funding in promoting vaccine studies.
He urged the scientists to further engage policymakers more regularly with key updates to facilitate much-needed awareness and action on the key study.
“As PF-AMR Chairperson, I commit to promoting discussion about this very important research, whose insights will provide the government with the knowledge to further health sector development in Uganda. You ought to set up more breakfast meetings to involve more policymakers in future discussions. It will be important that the key messages are simplified to enable understanding of key milestones and support decision making,” he said.
Dr Simon Aliga, the District Health Officer of Nakaseke, one of the districts in the cattle corridor of Uganda, previously affected by CCHF, welcomed the vaccine development study, calling it a timely response to a long-standing challenge in his community.
“At this time, our communities have many concerns about vaccine safety and side effects, from previous experiences. So, it is very positive that these scientists have engaged us at the start of this study, and are explaining to us what they intend to do. It would be good if more of these engagements could involve us as leaders of the affected communities. It is much easier to educate communities when armed with facts about the efficacy of a vaccine,” Dr Alinga said.
The director of the MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Prof. Moffat Nyirenda, welcomed the project as an exciting milestone, saying, “We can’t yet manufacture vaccines in Uganda, but this project represents the beginning of that journey.”
In addition, he noted that this effort would not only contribute to the fight against CCHF but would also bolster Uganda’s overall vaccine development infrastructure, benefiting future public health initiatives.
He, therefore, praised the government’s political will and financial support in spearheading vaccine development projects, which could significantly improve Uganda’s ability to respond to diseases like CCHF and others.
CCHF has been reported in numerous countries across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Nations such as Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and South Africa have all experienced outbreaks.
For example, Turkey records hundreds of cases annually, with over 1,000 cases and 40 deaths reported in some years. Iran has also faced a significant number of cases, with a mortality rate of around 15%, while Pakistan frequently reports outbreaks with dozens of deaths.
In total, hundreds of deaths have been attributed to CCHF across these regions, underscoring the urgency for vaccine development.
About the UK Vaccine Network
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is the UK Government department which is responsible for helping people to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. This investment is part of the UK Vaccine Network (UKVN).
UKVN was established to provide funding to support the development of promising vaccines and vaccine technologies that will help combat infectious diseases that have epidemic potential in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).
UKVN is an UK Aid investment, which means all projects funded must support research primarily and directly for the benefit of people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
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