WHO is Alarmed at ‘Scale and Speed’ of Ebola Outbreak as Hantavirus Threat Recedes

19/05/2026 Disha Shetty & Stefan Anderson

GENEVA — The outbreak of a deadly strain of Ebola for which there is no vaccine is accelerating through the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda at a “scale and speed” alarming the World Health Organization (WHO), as cases climb and authorities scramble to contain the spread. “I’m deeply concerned about the scale and […] Continue reading ->

Member States Support Extending Talks on Pandemic Agreement Annex, Propose New ‘Method’

19/05/2026 Kerry Cullinan

All World Health Organization (WHO) member states supported the extension of talks on the last outstanding piece of the Pandemic Agreement, the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex, at the World Health Assembly’s (WHA) Committee A on Monday. A draft PABS annex was due to have been presented to the WHA for approval, but instead, […] Continue reading ->

Outbreak Threats, Geopolitical Divides and Financial Crises Hover Over 79th World Health Assembly

18/05/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher

As the World Health Assembly opens on Monday in Geneva, it will have to grapple with shrinking global health budgets, new outbreak threats, including a new WHO declaration of a public health emergency in Africa over an Ebola virus strain that lacks any vaccine, and an increasingly fractured geopolitical space with deep disputes over Iran, […] Continue reading ->

WHO to Coordinate Research on ‘Natural History’ of Hantavirus Transmission

15/05/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher

The World Health Organization said Friday it is embarking on a plan to coordinate studies in more than 20 countries to “better understand the natural history of the disease” following an outbreak of the Andes strain of the hantavirus linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius. While stressing that the risks to the public remain […] Continue reading ->

EU Announces Bold Global Health Resilience Initiative Amidst Geopolitical Ruptures

13/05/2026 Felix Sassmannshausen

The European Commission announced its long-awaited Global Health Resilience Initiative on Wednesday. While the policy roadmap aims to support partner countries’ transition toward health sovereignty amid historic aid cuts and shifting geopolitical realities, critics are concerned about its heavy reliance on private funding. As global health gains face a severe threat of reversal from stagnating […] Continue reading ->

Experts Call for Review of Global Outbreak Response as Passengers Leave Ship Hit By Hantavirus

12/05/2026 Kerry Cullinan

All passengers were evacuated from the cruise ship, Hondius, by Monday night – and a Spaniard taken to a military hospital in Madrid to quarantine has become the 11th person from the ship to test positive for hantavirus. The evacuation was completed 10 days after the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified about the outbreak […] Continue reading ->

Hantavirus: Experts Question Claim that Only ‘Symptomatic’ People are Infectious

11/05/2026 Kerry Cullinan

Hantavirus has been confirmed in a French citizen evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship on Sunday, while two tests on a US citizen turned up one “weakly positive” and one negative result – but it is still unclear how the virus is being transmitted. The evacuation of passengers from the ship, now docked in […] Continue reading ->

Two More Reported Cases of Hantavirus Linked to Cruise Ship Hit by ‘Uncommon’ Human-to-Human Transmission

05/05/2026 Kerry Cullinan

Two more people linked to the cruise ship Hondius were reported to have fallen ill in Switzerland and France, according to Swiss and European media reports Wednesday. In the Swiss case, the infection and its links to the cruise ship were confirmed by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. On the reported French case, […] Continue reading ->

Making Better Vaccine Choices in a Shifting Global Health Landscape

27/04/2026 Charlie Weller

In an era of big global health budget cuts that often demand tough choices, identifying vaccine needs and priorities at national level is increasingly important. As we observe World Immunization Week, it’s time to recognize the pivotal role that National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) can play in guiding effective, evidence-based decisions – alongside global […] Continue reading ->

Tense Start to Final Pandemic Agreement Talks as Africa Rejects New Draft Text

23/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan

Tension was palpable at the start of the sixth – and supposedly final – round of talks on an annex to the Pandemic Agreement, with the African region rejecting the latest draft PABS Annex text. Pakistan also asserted that an agreement on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-sharing (PABS) annex should not be rushed simply […] Continue reading ->