The Government has said it will invest £33.2m in eight projects to tackle overseas disease outbreaks that pose risks to the UK.

It includes work on vaccines against Ebola, Plague, Marburg, Lassa fever, Nipah virus, chikungunya and Mayaro in low and middle-income countries where outbreaks are happening.

The funding will strengthen the UK’s ability to develop, test and deploy vaccines at speed during future outbreaks, the government said.

It is the same programme that supported the development of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, officials added.

Infectious diseases ‘do not respect borders’ and outbreaks overseas can escalate quickly and pose risks around the globe including in the UK, the statement added.

The research will in turn strengthen pandemic preparedness and improve resilience to future epidemic and pandemic threats.

Funding is being delivered through the UK Vaccine Network and Innovate UK, into research into promising vaccine candidates as well as clinical trials and technologies that can make vaccine design and manufacture faster and more effective.

Chris McDonald, health minister for science, innovation and investment, said: ‘The world remains at risk from new and re-emerging infectious diseases, and outbreaks overseas can quickly become threats to people here at home.

‘This £33.2m investment will back leading scientists to develop and deploy vaccines faster and strengthen our pandemic preparedness while supporting our world-leading life sciences sector.

‘By investing before a crisis hits, we can better protect the public, save lives and ensure the UK is ready to respond to future threats.’

It follows human trials for a new Ebola vaccine beginning in August based on the same vaccine technology as the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

An outbreak of the Bundibugyo Ebola variant continues to spread across parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Marburg outbreaks were reported in Rwanda in 2024 and Tanzania in 2025 and there is still no approved Marburg vaccine or antiviral treatment.

Sustained research between outbreaks can shorten response times and reduce risks internationally and, in the UK, experts said.

Recent reports of a suspected pneumonic plague case linked to a laboratory worker’s death in Russia’s Irkutsk region – with nearly 200 contacts placed under precautionary medical observation – are a reminder that the world remains at risk from serious infectious diseases, the government said.

Chief medical officer for England, Professor Sir Chris Whitty said the selected projects aim to prevent some of the most dangerous infectious diseases in the world today.

‘The development of safe and effective vaccines for these diseases will strengthen our ability to protect people around the world.’

Richard Pebody, director of epidemic and emerging infections at UKHSA added that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC is a reminder that emerging infectious diseases are not a distant threat.

‘UKHSA plays a critical role in responding to disease outbreaks, both at home and through our work with international partners. But preparedness, detection and response are only part of the picture.

‘Having effective vaccines and the manufacturing capability to produce them at speed is essential. This investment will help ensure that the UK is ready to respond quickly and effectively to a range of emerging health threats.’

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Government announces £33.2m to tackle infectious disease threats