Putin announces new Ebola drug as West Africa epidemic declared over

Disease which killed thousands of people across three countries in West Africa declared over by the World Health Organisation

An MSF health worker shoulders a canister of chlorine in order to sterilise Ebola infected bodies and items of clothing during 2014's deadly outbreak
An MSF health worker shoulders a canister of chlorine in order to sterilise Ebola infected bodies and items of clothing during 2014's deadly outbreak Credit: Photo: Will Wintercross/The Telegraph

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has claimed his country has developed a vaccine for the Ebola virus – the day before the disease that has killed 11,000 people in West Africa was declared over.

Mr Putin did not give any name for the vaccine, nor did he say how it worked, who was developing it or give details of any trials.

He said “corresponding tests” had revealed the new drug to be “more effective” than any of the many trialled since the outbreak of the deadly haemorrhagic fever two years ago.

“We have good news,” Mr Putin was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti news agency. “We have registered a drug against Ebola, which after the corresponding tests has been shown to be highly effective, more effective than the drugs used worldwide up to now.”

Experts working on other vaccine trials poured scorn on his claim, saying the Russian drug was in the early stages of testing. They described his claim of superiority as “mind-boggling”.

Russian president Vladimir Putin
Russian preisdent Vladimir Putin

Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary General, appealed to world health authorities to maintain "vigilance" to prevent the return of Ebola as the West Africa epidemic which claimed the lives of 11,000 people was declared officially over on Thursday at the UN General Assembly.

The WHO confirmed that with the release last month of Liberia's two last patients from hospital, "all known chains of transmission have been stopped in West Africa".

Both Sierra Leone and Guinea, the other two countries blighted by the disease, were declared Ebola-free after a 42-day countdown – twice the incubation period of the virus.

Mr Ki-moon said the region might still see sporadic cases in the year ahead but added: "We also expect the potential and frequency of those flare-ups to decrease over time".

"The end of Ebola transmission in West Africa is testament to what we can achieve when multilateralism works as it should, bringing the international community to work alongside national governments in caring for their people," he told a General Assembly briefing.

"Let us pledge to maintain our vigilance, our commitment and our solidarity for the people of West Africa and our world."

Charities working to pick up the pieces left by the deadly haemorrhagic fever say work must continue to support those affected.

Nearly 23,000 children lost one or both parents to the disease, the UN’s child agency Unicef said, and now need clothing, food and financial support to remain at school.

In addition, more than 1,260 survivors of the 4,767 children who contracted the disease still need intensive medical and social support. The organisation has appealed for donations of $15 million to fund its emergency programmes around Ebola recovery.

“Ebola has been a terrifying experience for children,” said Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “We owe it to them and to all the people of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to continue to support them as they recover from the devastating effects this disease has had on their lives.”

Professor David Heymann, senior fellow of the Chatham House Centre on Global Health Security, said the handling of Ebola had not been an unmitigated success.

“The initial response was not robust enough and the WHO did not bring in the partners that could possibly have stopped the outbreak in March,” he said.

He said that although valuable lessons had been learned that might strengthen responses to such outbreaks in future, another such epidemic was still possible. “There’s still a risk and until countries are properly engaged and supported to strengthen their health systems it’s still possible,” he said.