Today, the World Health Assembly recognized individuals and institutions whose contributions to global health have gone far beyond the call of duty. Six laureates representing diverse backgrounds and contexts were honoured by the President of the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly, Dr Víctor Elias Atallah Lajam of Dominican Republic, together with representatives of the foundations that…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a “public health emergency of international concern”, with cases now confirmed in neighbouring Uganda. Here is what you need to know. What is Ebola? Ebola is a serious potentially fatal infectious disease. It causes fever, damage to blood…
The Seventy-ninth session of the World Health Assembly (WHA79) opened in Geneva, Switzerland today, with the election of Dr Víctor Elías Atallah Lajam of the Dominican Republic as the President of the Health Assembly. The elected Vice-Presidents are Dr Mohamed Ali Al-Ghouj of Libya, Dr Assa Badiallo Touré of Mali, Mrs Katarzyna Drążek -Laskowska of…
Cruise ships are convenient floating hotels by which to see far-flung parts of the world – but as an epidemiologist, I know they are also everything an infectious pathogen could want: thousands of strangers packed into enclosed spaces for days or weeks, sharing dining rooms and high-touch surfaces such as elevator buttons and handrails, breathing…
MV Hondius was carrying 25 crew members and two medical personnel as it reached the Dutch port of Rotterdam. Published On 18 May 202618 May 2026 A cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has docked in the Netherlands for disinfection. The MV Hondius was carrying 25 crew members and two medical personnel as…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, citing rising cases, cross-border spread and significant uncertainties about the scale of the epidemic. The decision, announced by WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus on Sunday, follows reports of…
Pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article 12 – Determination of a public health emergency of international concern, including a pandemic emergency of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), after having consulted the States Parties where the event is known to be currently occurring, is hereby determining that…
Health Benefits of Cloves|How the tiny spice could protect your health and transform your life By HEALTH CORRESPONDENT [email protected] Scientists are hailing a humble kitchen spice as a potential powerhouse for health, and the findings could change the way we think about everyday wellness. Recent research suggests that cloves, often overlooked in favour of trendier…
In February 2025, the classical pianist Betsy Arakawa died in her New Mexico home from a virus most people had never heard of. Her husband, the actor Gene Hackman, died a week later of heart disease. The pathogen that killed her was hantavirus, almost certainly picked up from deer mouse droppings on the property. Fourteen…
Physicists have a term for systems that look simple but behave badly: the three-body problem. With two bodies in space, gravity is predictable. Add a third, and the system turns chaotic. Tiny changes cause big swings. Stability becomes rare and fragile. That is exactly where Africa’s health sovereignty agenda sits today. The African Union Strategic…
