Ethiopian public health official and WHO director-general
The UK has broken its June temperature record for the third day in a row, with highs surpassing 37C in parts of the country. Across Europe, authorities warn of rising health risks as heat intensifies, prompting warnings, travel disruption and hospital strain.
The UK faces potential medicine shortages within weeks due to disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East. Experts warn that supply shocks, rising costs, and logistical delays threaten access to essential medicines, with vulnerable populations at risk. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely.
Countries across Africa are advancing efforts to improve healthcare access through new diagnostics, training, and infrastructure. Namibia is expanding TB detection, Uganda is exploring AI diagnostics, and South Africa trials portable tests. Meanwhile, Africa faces a critical surgical workforce shortage, impacting treatment for conditions like cleft lip and palate.
On March 28, 2026, an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon killed three journalists: Ali Shoeib of Hezbollah's Al Manar, Fatima Ftouni of Al Mayadeen, and her brother Mohammad Ftouni. Israel claimed Shoeib was a Hezbollah intelligence operative, a charge denied by Hezbollah. Lebanese officials condemned the attack as a war crime. The strike occurred during intensified Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon.
The WHO warns of multiple attacks on Iran's health facilities, including the Pasteur Institute in Tehran, which has sustained significant damage. The strikes are part of broader assaults on infrastructure amid ongoing conflict involving Iran, the US, and Israel. The WHO has launched an urgent aid appeal.
The WHO suspended medical evacuations from Gaza after a staff member was killed during a security incident. The incident occurred as tensions remain high following recent clashes and ongoing conflict, with humanitarian efforts hampered by security concerns and border restrictions.
A third-grade student, Ritaj Rihan, was shot in a classroom in Gaza, causing psychological trauma. The incident occurred during ongoing Israeli military operations under a ceasefire since October 2023. Gaza's population remains confined to a small part of the territory, with schools operating in tents amid destruction and shortages. Over 71,000 people have been killed in the conflict since October.
The WHO and aid groups warn that attacks on medical facilities and chronic shortages have brought Gaza and parts of Sudan to the brink of collapse, with thousands awaiting treatment, cancer patients at risk, and cross-border evacuations constrained by security and access limits.
Measles outbreaks have ended in parts of the U.S. after a surge in vaccination efforts, but national numbers remain high and vaccination coverage has not reached the 95% threshold. Authorities warn the elimination status remains at risk amid rising cases and policy shifts affecting vaccine confidence.
Negotiators have missed a key deadline for finalising the global pandemic treaty, with the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex still unresolved. The canons aim to ensure rapid pathogen sharing alongside guaranteed access to vaccines, tests and treatments, but remaining disputes threaten the agreement's entry into force.
The MV Hondius has reached Tenerife with hantavirus cases linked to the voyage; authorities are evacuating passengers to a cordoned area. WHO says public risk remains low while UK authorities coordinate repatriation plans and monitoring intensifies.
The World Health Organization has warned that more hantavirus cases may emerge following the MV Hondius outbreak. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has praised Spain for its evacuation response and urged countries to maintain quarantine and monitoring measures as the situation evolves.
The MV Hondius outbreak has led to the repatriation of passengers by multiple countries. Seventeen Americans have been repatriated, with others evacuated to hospitals or quarantine facilities. The WHO warns the epidemic is not COVID-19, but officials urge caution as infections and evacuations continue.
A French passenger evacuated from the MV Hondius has tested positive for hantavirus and is in a Paris infectious diseases unit in critical condition. Eight infections and three deaths have been confirmed from the ship outbreak, with passengers from 23 nations repatriated after a complex operation. Authorities say the overall public risk remains low.
Health authorities have identified at least 13 hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, including three deaths. Passengers and crew have been evacuated to multiple countries and are being quarantined and closely monitored; more than 600 contacts in about 30 countries have been traced and are under follow-up as testing and isolation continue.
The Central African Republic has seen some signs of improvement as displacement slows and aid-funded activities resume. Yet funding for 2025 and 2026 remains critically short, raising the risk that gains will unravel. The UN and partners warn that continued shortfalls threaten life-saving relief for millions, with IDPs and refugees relying on fragile programmes to survive.
The World Health Organization has urged ongoing monitoring of passengers and crew from the Hondius cruise ship as a Dutch crew member has tested positive for Andes virus. Cases have reached 12 with three deaths; authorities emphasise containment and cautious quarantines as disembarkations continue.
A Bundibugyo-strain Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo has spread into Uganda, with cases confirmed in Kampala. Health officials warn that diagnostic delays and weak surveillance are hampering containment amid armed conflict and displacement. The WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern.
An Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo strain is expanding across Ituri and into North Kivu, with confirmed cases and suspected deaths rising. Health workers face equipment shortages and a fragile health system as aid groups warn that the outbreak is larger than officially reported.
The World Health Organization says suspected Ebola Bundibugyo cases and related deaths have increased in eastern DR Congo, with several dozen confirmed infections and nearly 600 suspected cases. WHO teams are assisting local authorities as community engagement efforts continue in Ituri, despite the lack of vaccines or therapeutics.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been declared a regional emergency. The outbreak has spread to Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, with over 900 suspected cases and more than 200 suspected deaths reported. The WHO cites ongoing conflict as a major obstacle, urging ceasefires and humanitarian access while vaccines and treatments are evaluated for this strain.
Uganda has tightened cross-border movement with Congo amid an Ebola outbreak centered in Ituri province. Authorities have restricted border travel and halted nonessential transport while WHO warns of regional risk and Congo struggles to contain cases. Kampala confirms cases and border closures are in effect for emergency purposes only.
Health workers in Congo's Ituri province are contending with an Ebola outbreak amid supply shortages, civil unrest and attacks on treatment centers. The World Health Organization has declared it a public health emergency of international concern, while aid deliveries from the EU and U.S. are expanding to Bunia and surrounding areas. Authorities report thousands of suspected cases and hundreds of deaths, with efforts hampered by security threats and logistical hurdles.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola has prompted a WHO-backed emergency response in the DRC’s Ituri region. Officials report dozens of confirmed and suspected cases and are rushing to deploy vaccines and treatments once available, amid security challenges and disrupted transport.
A set of new data shows a sharp drop in folic acid and iron supplies reaching crisis-affected and low-income countries, intensifying anaemia risks for pregnant women. Rising maternal deaths are linked to conflict, displacement, and shrinking humanitarian aid, while early results from US-supported cash programs offer guarded optimism.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is expanding its response to the Bundibugyo-strain Ebola outbreak. WHO and partners are coordinating containment efforts as Bunia opens a new treatment centre; authorities say cases are rising, with more than 1,000 suspected infections and over 200 deaths reported across Ituri, North and South Kivu and Uganda.
A Bundibugyo-strain Ebola outbreak has produced more than 500 confirmed cases across eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and at least 19 confirmed cases in Uganda. WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern; authorities are scaling up testing, treatment centres and cross-border preparedness while contact tracing and supplies remain insufficient.
Omar Artan has been denied entry to the United States and removed from FIFA’s World Cup referees after U.S. Customs and Border Protection found him inadmissible during vetting. Artan returned to Mogadishu on Wednesday and received a hero's welcome; Somali officials and football figures have protested the decision.
Anti-immigrant groups have set a June 30 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave, prompting security mobilisations and calls for calm as authorities warn violence will not be tolerated. Repatriation efforts are accelerating for migrants seeking safety, while political tensions rise ahead of local elections.
The Bundibugyo outbreak has prompted rapid vaccine and treatment development. Three candidates are advancing, with human trials possible within weeks to months. CEPI warns scale remains uncertain while the virus spreads in remote Congo areas.
Europe endures a record-breaking heatwave as red heat alerts spread. Authorities warn health and infrastructure face strain while experts link extreme temperatures to climate change. UK, France, Spain and other nations are deploying measures as temperatures push past past records.