00:00A treatment trial for the Bundibujo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo enrolled its first patient on Thursday.
00:09According to the World Health Organization WHO Chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, this marks a milestone in efforts to combat
00:18the epidemic.
00:21Tedros however cited an attack on an Ebola treatment centre in Ituri province in which two people died as a
00:28sign of ongoing difficulties in tackling the spread of the disease.
00:32There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for Ebola's Bundibujo strain which has caused more than 1,400 cases
00:40in DRC, including 438 deaths.
00:45DRC has recorded an average of 38 new confirmed cases a day over the past two weeks, Tedros said.
00:52The trial, which could take months to complete and includes more than 1,000 patients, will evaluate MAP Biopharmaceuticals' experimental
00:59MBP134 antibody as a standalone treatment for Bundibujo Ebola as well as in combination with Gilead Sciences' antiviral drug Remdesivir.
01:10There are enough drug supplies for the trials, according to the WHO, which said it was in discussions with the
01:16United States which donated supplies of MBP134 and Gilead to ensure patients would be able to access the drugs after
01:25the trials if they are shown to be safe and effective.
01:28The WHO chief also said other parts of the response were showing improvement.
01:33There are now 10 laboratories that can test for Ebola and follow-ups are being conducted for 4 in 5
01:39contacts, although more contacts still needed to be identified per case.
01:43Treatment capacity has also expanded with 650 beds available, of which about 96% are currently occupied.
01:52Tedros said the WHO and its partners were working to add 300 additional beds.
01:57Treatment capacity or are serviced for all sites.
01:57V-2 of the please.
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