Play store
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General on Thursday highlighted the world’s most pressing public health challenges, announcing the end of the global hantavirus outbreak while warning that Ebola continues to spread in Africa and humanitarian needs are mounting in earthquake-hit Venezuela.
Addressing global health developments, Tedros said the recent outbreaks of hantavirus, Ebola and Marburg underscore the importance of international cooperation in responding to cross-border health threats.
“There is no alternative to international cooperation in the face of international threats. No country alone can fight them,” he said.
The WHO chief announced that the global hantavirus outbreak has officially ended after the final person exposed during the outbreak completed quarantine, tested negative and returned home.
He said the outbreak recorded a total of 13 confirmed cases, including three deaths, while health authorities monitored more than 650 contacts across 33 countries and territories. No new infections have been reported since May 25.
Tedros noted that WHO member states will continue negotiations next week on the pathogen access and benefit-sharing system under the WHO Pandemic Agreement, describing it as a key step toward strengthening global preparedness for future health emergencies.
Meanwhile, the Ebola outbreak in the continues to worsen, with 1,406 confirmed cases and 438 deaths reported so far. The country has recorded an average of 38 new infections daily over the past two weeks.
He said the response, led by the Congolese government, has expanded laboratory testing to 10 facilities closer to affected communities while improving contact tracing and treatment capacity.
WHO has also launched a clinical trial of two experimental Ebola treatments and granted emergency use listing for the first molecular diagnostic test for the Bundibugyo virus.
Despite these advances, Tedros warned that violence and public mistrust continue to hamper response efforts. Earlier this week, an Ebola treatment centre in Ituri Province was attacked and set on fire, killing two people and forcing patients to flee.
In neighbouring , however, no new Ebola cases have been reported since June 21.
The WHO chief also expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in following two devastating earthquakes last week that have killed more than 2,300 people, injured over 5,000 and left nearly 16,000 homeless.
He said the disaster has further strained an already fragile healthcare system, warning that the death toll is likely to rise as recovery efforts continue.
Tedros also described air pollution as an “invisible killer,” saying around 6.5 billion people worldwide are exposed to unsafe levels of polluted air. According to WHO estimates, air pollution contributes to approximately 6.7 million premature deaths each year, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.
He further warned about the growing impact of digital platforms on public health, particularly among young people, saying online algorithms often prioritise engagement over accurate health information, allowing misinformation to spread rapidly.
Calling for stronger safeguards, Tedros urged governments and technology companies to create safer and more equitable digital environments, stressing that young people must be protected rather than treated as “a captive market or a commodity.” Source: UN News
