Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks sign of our 'dangerous' times, WHO chief warns

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned Monday that the Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks are only the latest crises in "dangerous and divisive" times.

Speaking at the opening of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, he cited a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, declared an international health emergency over the weekend, and a rare hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship.

The week-long assembly brings together health ministers and senior delegates from around the world.

What did the WHO say about the Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks?

Tedros described the two outbreaks as the latest symptoms of a world under strain from multiple crises. "From conflicts to economic crises to climate change and aid cuts, we live in difficult, dangerous and divisive times," he told delegates.

He was expected to elaborate further in his main address to the assembly on Tuesday morning.

What did world leaders say at the World Health Assembly?

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez drew a standing ovation in a surprise address to the assembly, stressing that "protecting others is the best way to protect ourselves." His country had been praised for allowing the stricken MV Hondius to anchor off the Canary Islands last week so passengers and crew could be evacuated.

Sanchez warned that "defending common sense has become a form of rebellion" and lamented what he called an ongoing "pandemic of egoism."

Ghana President John Dramani Mahama also addressed the assembly, telling delegates that the world health architecture was changing rapidly six years after Covid-19. "We are witnessing the end of an era," he said. "We must have the courage to build the next one."

How have WHO funding cuts affected the organization?

The 2026 World Health Assembly opened after a particularly difficult year for WHO, weakened by the announced US withdrawal and deep funding cuts. Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider told the assembly that WHO's budget had been reduced by around 21 percent, nearly one billion dollars, with hundreds of jobs eliminated and programs cut. She said the organization "had to, and was able to, undergo profound reform in the midst of the emergency."

Suerie Moon, co-director of the Global Health Centre at the Geneva Graduate Institute, said the hantavirus crisis offered "a clear illustration of why the world needs an effective, trusted, impartial, reliably-funded WHO." Her assessment suggested the organization had weathered the pressures of the past year. The question of long-term funding and institutional reform remains central to this week's agenda.

What is the status of the US and Argentina withdrawals from WHO?

It remains unclear what, if anything, will be decided at this assembly regarding the withdrawals of the United States and Argentina. Trump handed in a one-year withdrawal notice on his first day back in office in January 2025, with Argentina following shortly after. The WHO constitution includes no withdrawal clause, and the organization has not formally confirmed either departure.

The United States reserved the right to withdraw when it joined WHO in 1948, on condition of one year's notice and settling its financial obligations in full. Washington has not paid its 2024 or 2025 dues, leaving around $260 million outstanding.

Diplomats indicated broad agreement that maintaining a grey zone around US membership status was preferable to forcing a formal resolution.

What other sensitive issues are on the World Health Assembly agenda?

Countries again refused to add Taiwan's request to regain observer status, which it held between 2009 and 2016, to the assembly's agenda. Other contentious issues, including Ukraine, the Palestinian territories and Iran, remain on the table and could spark heated debate. Disagreement between wealthy and developing nations has also blocked closure on WHO's landmark 2025 pandemic treaty.

Countries had aimed to finalize a key annex to the pandemic treaty at this assembly, covering the sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential and the benefits derived from them, such as vaccines, tests and treatments. They appeared set instead to grant themselves another year to conclude the stalled negotiations. Much of the week's broader discussion will center on whether to launch a formal reform of the global health architecture, a collection of overlapping organis=zations that do not always work in coordination.