Lower thirds:

0:03  Report by / Marcus Jean Loika & Anne Le Touzé-Schmitz
0:38  Bobo Bazola / Head of the Admission Center 
1:28  Professor Yap Boum / Incident Manager, Africa CDC
2:17  Dr. Bobo Bazola / Site Manager

Script:

00
This pregnant woman voluntarily reported to the Rwampara Treatment Centre after coming into contact with a confirmed case of Ebola.

She is receiving her first dose as part of a post-exposure clinical trial.

As a pregnant participant, she is also receiving specialized care under a protocol designed to ensure the safety of both mother and child.

The study is evaluating two interventions: Obeldesivir ((oh-bel-DEH-si-veer)) and a placebo. Participants are assigned to either group through a random selection process.

00:38 +++ Dr. Bobo Bazola, Head of the Admission Center +++
[The treatment] is not disclosed to the team at the centre. Participants in the trial are monitored for 42 days. They are assessed on the day of admission, on Day 5, Day 10 and Day 21, as well as at regular intervals throughout the follow-up period. Since the study began, no participant has declined to take part.

A total of 24 people have already volunteered for the trial at Rwampara Hospital.

A dedicated facility has been established to accommodate participants.

Professor Yap Boum says the launch of the trial offers new hope.

He also stresses that community participation will be critical to achieving the study's objectives quickly.

01:28
+++ Professor Yap Boum, Incident Manager, Africa CDC +++
This research will help us determine which of the treatments being evaluated can be deployed quickly within our communities. The highest standards of scientific rigor are being applied. What we need now is greater participation so that we can protect people and obtain answers as quickly as possible. The Bundibugyo strain has been with us for many years, yet we still do not have a vaccine or a specific treatment. Now is the time to change that.

As the outbreak response continues, health authorities are urging people identified as high-risk contacts to come forward.

They will receive comprehensive care and monitoring free of charge.

02:17 +++ Dr. Bobo Bazola, Site Manager +++
The post-exposure Ebola clinical trial is now underway. Anyone who knows they have been in contact with a confirmed case should not hide or run away. They should cooperate with surveillance teams and healthcare workers.

At the same time, researchers are also testing remdesivir and the monoclonal antibody MBP134 in Ebola patients.

Authorities plan to expand the studies across Ituri Province - with the aim of finding effective treatments and accelerating efforts toward a vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain.

++END++ 02:58