WHO assembly opens amid outbreaks

The World Health Assembly opened in Geneva on May 18 with Ebola in Central Africa, a hantavirus cluster linked to cruise ship travel, and a funding squeeze hanging over the week’s talks. WHO said the 79th assembly runs through May 23 and opened with the election of Dr. Víctor Elías Atallah Lajam of the Dominican Republic as president of the meeting. UN News reported that ministers arrived as countries grappled with active outbreaks, deep budget pressure and geopolitical strain. Firstpost, citing Agence France-Presse, said uncertainty around announced U.S. and Argentinian withdrawals has added to concern about how the agency will finance its work. ### Which outbreaks are hanging over the meeting? WHO’s Africa office said the Democratic Republic of the Congo confirmed a new Ebola outbreak days before the assembly, with 80 community deaths suspected to be due to Ebola Bundibugyo reported so far. (who.int) The same WHO update said Uganda confirmed Ebola Bundibugyo in a patient from Congo who later died, and authorities activated surveillance, screening and response measures. (news.un.org) WHO also reported a separate hantavirus cluster tied to a cruise ship. In its disease outbreak notice, the agency said that as of May 4 there were seven cases — two laboratory-confirmed and five suspected — including three deaths. ### Why are delegates still arguing over pathogen-sharing rules? WHO said on May 1 that member states agreed “additional time was needed” to finish the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing, or PABS, annex to the Pandemic Agreement. (afro.who.int) The annex is meant to set the framework for how pathogens are shared and how benefits from that sharing are distributed in future pandemics. (who.int) WHO had already said on March 28 that negotiations would be extended beyond their original timetable, with talks resuming in late April before the assembly. The intergovernmental working group page now shows further meetings tentatively scheduled for July and September 2026, indicating the issue will not be settled during this week’s gathering. (who.int) RFI reported before the assembly opened that countries had hoped to finalize the arrangements this month but were instead likely to give themselves another year after talks stalled again. WHO’s own statements stop short of that one-year timeline, but they confirm that the annex was not ready for adoption at the start of the assembly. (who.int) ### How are aid cuts affecting the Ebola response? Politico reported that foreign aid cuts allowed Ebola to spread undetected in Congo and Uganda, while conflict complicated efforts to build resilient health services. The report said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez used the Geneva meeting to argue that “investing in global health is investing in security for our people.” (rfi.fr) Politico also reported that WHO declared a global health emergency over the Ebola outbreak on May 17 and said neighboring countries sharing land borders with Congo were at high risk of further spread. The outlet said the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no vaccine. ### What does WHO say happens next? WHO’s assembly page says proceedings continue in Geneva through May 23, with daily updates and webcast sessions posted by the agency. (politico.eu) The pandemic-agreement working group page lists additional PABS meetings in July and September 2026, with the annex still to be completed by member states. WHO’s immediate agenda this week includes the assembly debate itself, while outbreak response continues in Congo, Uganda and in the hantavirus investigation. (politico.eu) Those parallel tracks — emergency response and unfinished treaty rules — are now moving at the same time. (afro.who.int) (who.int)