The new Ebola outbreak forces the WHO to activate a global health emergency

The World Health Organization ( WHO ) begins its annual meeting this Monday in Geneva with several health alerts on the table . Outbreaks of hantavirus and Ebola are at the heart of international concern at a summit also marked by uncertainty following the announced withdrawals of the United States and Argentina from the organization.

The WHO has declared a global emergency the new Ebola outbreak detected in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo , where 13 cases had been confirmed as of last Friday, according to the organization’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The WHO chief explained that teams have already been deployed on the ground , along with medical supplies and $500,000 in emergency funding to try to contain the spread of the disease. He also noted that the Congo has experience with this type of health crisis and that the immediate goal is to curb transmission through epidemiological surveillance, contact tracing, and strengthening the healthcare system.

MALARIA, ANOTHER CONCERN AT THE SUMMIT

Another key topic at this international health conference will be the new data on the RTS,S malaria vaccine . The findings, from the WHO Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme, confirm that one in eight child deaths were averted among children eligible for the vaccine in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi between 2019 and 2023.

The WHO-recommended malaria vaccines are already available in 25 African countries, and the organization expects their impact to continue growing in the coming years.

Even so, the WHO warned that budget constraints continue to make it difficult for many countries to expand their campaigns and meet national vaccination targets.

WHO CALLS FOR MORE FUNDING FOR VACCINES

During his speech, Adhanom Ghebreyesus defended the need to strengthen global access to vaccines and increase funding for childhood immunization.

The WHO Director-General asserted that “equitable access and increased and sustained funding for immunization programs are needed to protect children and save lives.”