World Health Organization

October 13, 2026 6:43 PM

JOSH Campaign Launched Across 11 States, 55 Districts to Mobilise Communities for TB Elimination

The Joint Squad for Health (JOSH), a nationwide social media campaign, was launched on a pilot basis across 11 states and 55 districts on October 13 to mobilise young people and communities towards tuberculosis (TB) elimination. The campaign brings together MY Bharat volunteers, National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and designated Class-I officers to spread awareness about TB, encourage timely screening, early diagnosis and treatment, reduce stigma and promote treatment adherence, particularly among...

October 7, 2026 3:56 PM

WHO seeks more details from Russia about reasons for plague institute worker’s death

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday it had requested more information from Russia about what killed a plague institute worker in Siberia, saying transparency was vital to get a clear picture of potential health risks. Russian authorities say the 28-year-old laboratory worker died on Friday from pneumonia of an as-yet unestablished origin, in a case that prompted international concern, including from US President Donald Trump, and which saw around 200 people initially placed in quara...

September 3, 2026 11:56 AM

WHO’s Tedros says Ebola response must be scaled up to tackle Congo outbreak

The head of the World Health Organization on Wednesday said the Ebola response needs to be scaled up to tackle the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with tracking the chains of transmission still posing a challenge. "Until every chain is found and broken, the epidemic will continue and will continue to pose a threat to DRC, its neighbours and the region as a whole," the WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told reporters in Geneva. The number of deaths in Congo's Ebo...

August 28, 2026 11:16 AM

US deploys aid of $500,000; WHO extends support to Nepal amid flash floods

The United States and the World Health Organization (WHO) have extended support and expressed solidarity with Nepal following devastating flash floods and mudslides, with Washington announcing USD 500,000 in assistance and the WHO dispatching emergency medical supplies. US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison M Hooker said she spoke with Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal about the ongoing search-and-rescue efforts, including urgent efforts to locate missing US citizens. ...

August 4, 2026 4:16 PM

Treatment trials for Ebola strain behind Congo outbreak show promise, WHO says

Testing of experimental treatments, preventive medicines and vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola behind Democratic Republic of Congo's ongoing outbreak is advancing rapidly, the U.N.'s World Health Organization said on Tuesday. The epidemic — the second-largest and fastest-spreading on record — was caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. But Vasee Moorthy, acting head of WHO's R&D Blueprint programme, told journ...

July 10, 2026 10:47 AM

Overcrowded shelters, lack of clean water pose health risks after Venezuela quakes, PAHO says

Disease outbreaks, poor sanitation, lack of access to clean water, and disruptions to basic medical care could pose the greatest health risks to the tens of thousands of survivors of Venezuela's deadly earthquakes, the Americas branch of the World Health Organization said on Thursday. Venezuela has opened more than 80 shelters for those whose homes were destroyed in twin quakes on June 24, with the number of displaced reaching 17,907 by Thursday. Poor shelter conditions could leave many surviv...

June 1, 2026 10:10 AM

Ebola recoveries bring signs of hope in DRC as suspected cases emerge outside Africa

Four nurses who were being treated for Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus have been discharged from a hospital in Bunia in the Democratic Republic of Congo after recovering from the disease, the World Health Organization said on Sunday. More recoveries are expected, especially when people are diagnosed early and able to access care, and as the response to the outbreak intensifies. A laboratory worker had also recovered earlier this week, the agency said, bringing the total numb...

May 29, 2026 3:30 PM

WHO says 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths from Bundibugyo strain of Ebola

The World Health Organization said on Friday that there are 906 suspected cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 223 suspected deaths that are being investigated. An outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is continuing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with cases also reported in Uganda. There have been 125 confirmed cases of Ebola in the DRC, including 17 confirmed deaths in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. There have also been seven confirmed cases of Ebola...

May 29, 2026 10:25 AM

US to quarantine citizens exposed to Ebola in Kenya, not bring them home

The U.S. is setting up a facility in Kenya to quarantine U.S. citizens who have been exposed to Ebola, and will not bring them home if they develop symptoms, but instead send them to a third country, the White House said on Thursday. The strategy marks a sharp break from past practice during previous outbreaks as President Donald Trump's administration seeks to keep all cases out of U.S. territory. The World Health Organization this month declared the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which t...

May 22, 2026 5:21 PM

Inside an African lab that helped crack the hantavirus outbreak

The call for help came in early May: a cruise ship off Cape Verde was stranded, with passengers suspected of infection by a deadly strain of hantavirus that kills about one in three of its victims. The vessel had stopped at several remote islands, and the World Health Organization needed answers. Could a biomedical research center in Senegal, an hour's flight away, support a team collecting specimens from suspected cases on board? The plane landed in Senegal in the early hours of May 5. At the...