Rapid research for community protection in the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

This Wellcome Trust discretionary award proposal sets out a programme to scale rapid, ethical social and behavioural research for the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) PHEIC, declared on 17 May 2026. Anchored in the Africa CDC-WHO continental aim to "stop the outbreak and protect communities," it ensures community evidence drives response while building infrastructure and capability for future epidemic threats, including cholera, mpox and climate- sensitive events. The work has two objectives: 1. deliver rapid research that informs BVD response actions, and 2. establish how outbreak research can be scaled across diverse contexts with quality and ethics sustained. Delivery runs through three work packages. WP1 implements protocol-driven rapid research - building on the WHO inter-agency protocol implemented for mpox, Ebola and cholera - starting in Ituri and scaling to North/South Kivu, Uganda and South Sudan. WP2 creates a "living learning system" with embedded ethics and methods advisory functions and regional convening with Africa CDC. WP3, delivered with Kobo and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, provides the secure, nationally owned digital backbone. Key words: community protection, rapid research, rapid qualitative methods, community engagement, risk communication and community engagement