Uganda has begun a trial vaccination programme for the strain of Ebola viral infection that is behind the country's latest outbreak, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), while the number of confirmed cases has risen to three.

Ugandan authorities on Monday began a clinical trial of a vaccine against the Sudan strain of Ebola that has killed one person in the outbreak declared last week. This is the first trial to assess the efficacy of a vaccine against the Sudan strain,

This is a critical achievement toward better pandemic preparedness and saving lives when outbreaks occur,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

In a global first, Uganda’s Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners today launched a first ever vaccine trial for Ebola from the Sudan species of the virus, and at an unprecedented speed for a randomized vaccine trial in an emergency.

Ugandan officials are preparing to deploy a trial vaccine as part of efforts to stem an outbreak of Ebola in the capital, Kampala

Test results on the sick people are pending, and a top WHO official said the outbreak response is proceeding rapidly.

GENEVA - Uganda on Monday started the first-ever vaccination trial for the Sudan species of the Ebola virus four days after an outbreak was confirmed, the World Health Organization announced.

In its last outbreak, more than two years ago, Uganda saw 164 cases and 55 confirmed deaths from Ebola. Uganda announced Thursday that a nurse, 32, had died of Ebola in the capital, Kampala, amid a new outbreak of the deadly virus there — the first in two years.