Global alarm as Ebola spreads from Africa to Europe

November 1, 2026 9:27 AM

Global alarm as Ebola spreads from Africa to Europe

Could Ebola become a global health emergency reminiscent of COVID-19? A catastrophic outbreak originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo has crossed a grim milestone, raising alarm far beyond the African continent. Top health officials are now warning that the virus could reach the U.K. and other Western nations, urging governments worldwide to ramp up emergency preparedness levels. Officially declared in mid-May in the D.R.C.'s eastern Ituri province, genetic sequencing suggests the v...

Why has mpox been declared a global health emergency?

August 17, 2024 2:57 PM

Why has mpox been declared a global health emergency?

The World Health Organization has declared that an outbreak of mpox, a viral infection that spreads through close contact, represents a global health emergency for the second time in two years. Here's what that means. WHAT IS A GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY? A "public health emergency of international concern" or PHEIC is WHO's highest form of alert. It is announced when diseases are spreading in new or unusual ways, and is aimed at galvanising international co-operation and funding to tackle an ou...