GHIT Fund Launches Emergency Product Development Support for Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund), a nonprofit organization, has established an emergency product development support and grant system in response to the outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD), caused by the Bundibugyo virus, centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This initiative aims to support the development of rapid diagnostic technologies and point-of-care (POC) tests to enable swift detection, regional containment, and enhanced preparedness in affected and neighboring countries.

Starting May 22, 2026—five days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17 (Japan time)—the GHIT Fund began accepting expressions of interest (EOI), conducting market assessments, and facilitating information exchange to support the development of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics and in vitro diagnostics (IVD) that enable immediate diagnosis in the field.

Background: The Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak

Ebola virus disease is a highly lethal (average mortality rate of approximately 50%) viral infection transmitted from wild animals to humans, and then from person to person through direct contact with blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected individuals, as well as through contact with contaminated materials such as bedding and clothing*1. The current Ebola outbreak, centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain. As of now, there are no approved treatments or vaccines for this virus, increasing the urgent need for rapid, field-deployable diagnostic tools and POC tests. According to WHO’s update on June 13, 2026, confirmed cases in the DRC and Uganda have reached 695 (including 138 deaths), underscoring the critical need for immediate containment measures*2.

GHIT Fund’s Role and Response

A key strategy in combating highly infectious and lethal viruses is the rapid identification of infected individuals at an early stage, enabling prompt isolation and treatment. The GHIT Fund’s role is to accelerate product development that meets on-the-ground needs by fostering collaboration between Japanese companies, universities, and research institutions (academia) with innovative diagnostic technologies and overseas partners. In particular, developing rapid diagnostic technologies that function in low- and middle-income countries lacking reliable electricity or advanced laboratory infrastructure is a critical challenge in preventing the spread of infection.

The GHIT Fund is accepting proposals for innovative diagnostic technologies through its existing framework and has established a rapid-response Request for Proposals (RFP) system for the development of rapid diagnostics and POC tests targeting filovirus infections, including Ebola*3.

Support for product development can be found on the GHIT Fund website.

GHIT-RFP-TRP-2026-001: Pandemic Preparedness and Response Award

https://www.ghitfund.org/applyforfunding/trppast/jp

Notes:

*1 WHO Ebola Virus Disease Fact Sheet

https://www.who.int/health-topics/ebola#tab=tab_1

*2 WHO Disease Outbreak News

https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON607

*3 This does not guarantee financial support. Calls for proposals are conducted under the existing GHIT-RFP-TRP-2026-001: Pandemic Preparedness and Response Award framework. Investment (grant) decisions will be made after rapid review and fair evaluation of submitted applications.

About the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund)

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund) is an international public-private partnership involving the Japanese government (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), private-sector pharmaceutical companies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GHIT Fund invests in the development of new drugs to combat infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that threaten the health of the world’s poorest populations. To develop treatments, vaccines, and diagnostics, the GHIT Fund promotes participation by Japanese pharmaceutical companies, universities, and research institutions, and facilitates collaboration with overseas organizations. For more information, visit https://www.ghitfund.org/en.