- The recent Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda highlights delays in vaccine availability and rising deaths
- Delayed vaccines worsen outbreaks by increasing infections, overwhelming health systems, and spreading disease
- Mpox outbreaks showed vaccine inequality as poorer countries waited nearly two years for doses
The Covid-19 pandemic exposed major gaps in global health preparedness, but recent outbreaks of Ebola, hantavirus and mpox show that the world still struggles to ensure timely and equitable access to vaccines. Infectious disease outbreaks are becoming more frequent, more widespread and harder to control, while vaccine access in many low-income countries continues to remain delayed. Global health experts now warn that pandemic risks are rising faster than investments in preparedness.
The recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda has once again highlighted the consequences of delayed vaccine availability. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most promising vaccine candidate may take six to nine months to become available for clinical trials. Meanwhile, suspected Ebola cases have crossed 600, with deaths continuing to rise.
Why Delayed Vaccines Matter
In fast-spreading infectious diseases, time is critical. Delayed access to vaccines allows outbreaks to spread rapidly across communities and borders. During the current Ebola outbreak, the virus reportedly circulated undetected for weeks before confirmation, partly because early tests failed to identify the correct strain. By the time authorities recognised the outbreak, the infection had already spread across transport routes and international borders.
Similarly, during recent mpox outbreaks, vaccines reportedly took nearly two years to reach several affected African countries, even slower than the rollout seen during Covid-19. Experts say this reflects a continuing global imbalance where richer nations secure vaccines quickly while lower-income regions wait longer despite being at the centre of outbreaks.
What happens when vaccines arrive late:
- More infections and deaths occur
- Health systems become overwhelmed
- Contact tracing becomes difficult
- Public fear and misinformation increase
- Outbreaks spread internationally through travel and migration
Vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals face greater risks
Such outbreaks are now being fuelled by climate change, deforestation, rapid urbanisation, armed conflict, increased global travel and weakened international cooperation.
Lessons from Ebola and Mpox Outbreaks
The Ebola outbreak demonstrates how fragile healthcare systems and delayed surveillance can worsen disease spread. Conflict-hit regions often lack diagnostic laboratories, protective equipment and trained healthcare workers. In such settings, even identifying cases becomes difficult. WHO officials have also pointed out that armed conflict and displacement in outbreak areas are slowing response efforts.
Mpox, meanwhile, revealed another global challenge: vaccine inequality. Although vaccines existed, many low-income countries struggled to access supplies quickly. WHO has repeatedly stressed that outbreaks cannot be controlled if vaccines and treatments remain concentrated in wealthier nations.
Another major concern is that infectious diseases are evolving. WHO recently reported cases involving recombinant strains of mpox, where different viral strains combine genetically. Such changes may complicate surveillance, diagnosis and vaccination strategies in the future.
The Growing Threat of Global Health Inequality
One of the strongest lessons from recent outbreaks is that disease control cannot depend only on scientific breakthroughs. Vaccines may exist, but if access remains unequal, outbreaks will continue to spread.
The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) has warned that the world is "not yet meaningfully safer" from pandemics despite advances in vaccine technology such as mRNA platforms. According to the report, the world is actually moving backwards in equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics.
Experts say global trust has also weakened after Covid-19. Politicised responses, misinformation and attacks on scientific institutions have reduced public confidence in health systems. This can make outbreak control even harder during future emergencies.
Why This Matters for India
India remains vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases because of its large population, dense urban areas, climate-sensitive regions and extensive international travel links. Although India significantly strengthened its healthcare infrastructure after Covid-19, experts believe stronger outbreak preparedness is still needed.
India is one of the world's largest vaccine manufacturers and played a major role in supplying Covid-19 vaccines globally. However, preparedness must go beyond vaccine production alone.
There is quick need for:
- Faster disease surveillance
- Improved laboratory networks
- Stronger genomic sequencing
- Better emergency stockpiles
- Faster regulatory approvals during emergencies
- International collaboration and information sharing
- Public awareness and trust-building
India must also strengthen disease detection at airports, border areas and urban healthcare centres, especially as infections can spread rapidly through travel and crowded cities.
The Need for Global Cooperation
The GPMB recently warned that the world could face even greater pandemic damage in the coming years if countries fail to strengthen preparedness systems.
Future pandemic preparedness depends on:
- Faster vaccine research and approvals
- Fair global vaccine distribution
- Sustainable funding for outbreak response
- Transparent data sharing
- Strong international coordination
- Stronger local healthcare systems
The WHO and global health agencies are also pushing for stronger international agreements to ensure that countries share outbreak data quickly and receive fair access to vaccines and treatments in return.
Without equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments, even local outbreaks can quickly become global threats. Ebola and mpox are reminders that infectious diseases do not respect borders, and delays in one region can eventually affect the entire world. The next pandemic threat may not wait for countries to become fully prepared, making global cooperation and vaccine equity more important than ever.
(By Dr. K. Seshi Kiran, Senior Consultant General Physician, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad)
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