WHO opens assembly amid Ebola, hantavirus

The World Health Assembly opened in Geneva on May 18 with WHO delegates meeting under pressure from two active cross-border health events and a funding squeeze inside the agency itself. WHO said the 79th assembly runs from May 18 to May 23 and elected Dr. Víctor Elías Atallah Lajam of the Dominican Republic as president. (who.int) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told member states on May 19 that WHO was responding at the same time to Ebola caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and to a hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius. (who.int) ### Why are delegates talking about Ebola on the assembly’s opening days? WHO on May 17 said Tedros had determined that Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda constituted a public health emergency of international concern under the International Health Regulations. (who.int) The agency said the event did not meet the separate threshold for a “pandemic emergency.” Ituri province in eastern Congo is at the center of the latest outbreak response. WHO’s Africa office said on May 15 that Congo had confirmed an outbreak in Ituri and that WHO was scaling up support. Tedros told member states on May 19 that intensified conflict, new displacement and population movement in the mining area increased the risk of further spread. (who.int) ### What is happening with the hantavirus cruise-ship cluster? WHO said on May 2 it was notified of severe respiratory illness aboard the Netherlands-flagged MV Hondius, and by May 13 the agency had reported 11 cases and three deaths tied to the cluster. WHO said eight cases had been laboratory-confirmed for Andes virus infection, with two probable cases and one inconclusive result in the United States. (who.int) Tedros said on May 19 that all passengers had been repatriated and would be monitored until the quarantine period ends on June 21. WHO’s Europe office said passengers from 23 countries had been on board when the United Kingdom notified the agency of the cluster. (afro.who.int) ### If a pandemic agreement already exists, what is still unresolved? The World Health Assembly adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement on May 20, 2025, after more than three years of negotiations. But WHO says the agreement cannot yet open for signature because member states still have to complete an annex described in Article 12 on the pathogen access and benefit-sharing system, or PABS. (who.int) WHO said in January 2026 that governments were still conducting text-based negotiations on that annex and trying to narrow differences. The 79th assembly agenda includes an item on the open-ended intergovernmental working group on the WHO Pandemic Agreement, alongside agenda items on the International Health Regulations and WHO’s work in health emergencies. (who.int) ### Where does funding pressure enter the meeting? Tedros used his May 18 opening remarks to tell delegates that WHO had faced major financial pressure and had started reprioritization and restructuring work. The assembly documentation includes 2025 audited financial statements, the 2026-2027 financing and performance framework, and a report on WHO’s prioritization and realignment process in 2025-2026. (who.int) UN News reported that the meeting opened under the shadow of funding cuts and geopolitical tension as ministers gathered in Geneva. WHO’s daily updates page lists speeches, releases and webcast proceedings for the May 18-23 session. (who.int) ### What happens next in Geneva? The 79th World Health Assembly continues through May 23 at WHO headquarters in Geneva, with plenary and committee sessions scheduled on emergencies, International Health Regulations implementation and the pandemic agreement. WHO has posted the provisional agenda, daily timetable and session documents on its assembly pages. (who.int) (news.un.org) (who.int)