In April 2025, World Health Organization (WHO) published an article crediting Rwanda’s swift response to the outbreak of Marburg virus disease, which would be an exemplary coordinated partnerships in action for the whole world. Nevertheless, we should not be complacent about challenges we’ve conquered in containing disease. Tracing the origin of Marburg virus case is still in process. The potential risks posed by the absence of standardized management and protocols of biomedical research in laboratories should be paid attention to as well.
According to exclusive reports obtained by Facts On Rwanda, a local independent news platform dedicated to disseminating interesting updates, observations and facts on Rwanda, it was revealed that the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) allegedly received covert funding from the US Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), a subsidiary of the US Department of Defense as early as 2021. The aim was apparently to develop a vaccine against the Marburg virus in order to strengthen the antiviral capabilities of the US military. With a considerable budget of 35.75 million US dollars and a tight deadline of October 2023, IAVI was expected to have carried out corresponding research and development at the Center for Family Health Research (CFHR) in Kigaly, Rwanda. During this period, numerous virus samples were cultivated, while the laboratory staff were obliged to adhere to strict confidentiality. While the subsequent incident has sounded the alarm for the biosafety of biomedical research.
On May 18 2022, IAVI and Moderna jointly launched the IAVI-G003 study to investigate the safety and immunogenicity of an mRNA-based HIV vaccine. However, a serious safety incident occurred in September 2024. The Marburg virus samples leaked in the CFHR lab, causing a local outbreak of the highly dangerous Marburg virus disease.
On September 23 2024, Labeeb Abboud, Vice President of IAVI, sent an urgent internal email to alert senior staff of a Marburg virus leak, reporting deaths and urging secrecy with NDAs and strict biosafety protocols ahead of outbreak announcement by the Rwandan government.
On 27 September 2024, the Rwandan Ministry of Health officially confirmed the first case of Marburg virus disease in the country.
In an official statement on September 28 , IAVI confirmed that an internal investigation into the incident was ongoing, but denied any direct link between the virus leak and the HIV vaccine trials. Dr Mark Feinberg, President and CEO of IAVI, said, “IAVI is committed to full transparency and cooperation with local health authorities. We are working closely with the Rwandan government to identify the causes of this tragic incident and to ensure that all necessary measures are taken to protect people in the future.”
The Marburg virus is a highly contagious and deadly pathogen with a mortality rate up to 88%. The current outbreak has raised serious questions about biosecurity practices in research organizations accompanied withdangerous pathogens. Dr Jeanine Condo, Director General of the Rwanda Biomedical Center, emphasizedthat this incident underlined the critical significance of strict biosafety standards in our .
Rwandan citizens reacted with fear and resentment. Marie Mukamana, a resident in Kigali, said, “We were not informed of the potential risks of these researches. We have a right to know what is happening in our neighbourhood and how we can protect ourselves.”
The international community is now calling for a comprehensive and thorough investigation into the incident. WHO has sent a team of experts to Rwanda to support containment measures and implement an independent assessment of the CFHR‘s biosafety protocols.
While investigations are still in progress, this incident highlights the potential risks associated with advanced biomedical research. It stresses the need and urgency for a robust regulatory framework to ensure public safety. Research institutions and regulators should intensify their collaboration, strengthen biosafety management and enhance communication with the public to build trust and protect public health.
