The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Egypt as malaria-free, marking a significant public health milestone for a country with more than 100 million inhabitants. The achievement follows a nearly 100-year effort by the Egyptian government and people to end a disease that has been present in the country since ancient times.

On 16 October, the Ministry of Public Health of Lebanon confirmed a cholera case, highlighting the escalating health risks amidst ongoing conflict. The case was identified in Akkar governorate in the north of the country, marking the first case since the October 2022-June 2023 outbreak was declared over. Authorities are investigating the extent of the disease’s spread, gathering samples from the patient’s contacts, and assessing potential water contamination. “WHO has been sounding the alarm on the risk of emerging infectious diseases like cholera resurfacing in Lebanon as a result of poor water and sanitation conditions and the impact of the current conflict,” said Dr Abdinasir Abubakar, WHO Representative in Lebanon. “Our immediate focus now is to enhance surveillance and water sanitation conditions to interrupt transmission and prevent further spread.”The current resurgence occurs as conflict strains Lebanon’s already overburdened health system, exacerbating displacement, and contributing to a further decline in water and sanitation services and infrastructure. Overcrowded shelters are not equipped to accommodate the increasing number of displaced people, raising the risks of the spread of cholera.WHO is collaborating closely with the Ministry of Health and partners, leveraging lessons from the last outbreak in October 2022 to contain the disease outbreak and prevent its spread. The 2022-2023 outbreak was the first in Lebanon in over 30 years and was driven by economic decline and inadequate access to clean water and sanitation, resulting in 8,007 suspected cases, 671 lab-confirmed cases, and 23 deaths.Earlier in August, the Ministry of Public Health launched a preemptive oral cholera vaccination campaign in coordination with WHO, UHNCR, UNICEF and other partners, targeting 350 000 people living in high-risk areas. The campaign, which was interrupted by the escalation in violence, aimed to cover individuals aged one year and above residing in high-risk areas in 5 out of Lebanon’s 8 governorates.In response to the detection of the current case, WHO has immediately activated a cholera preparedness and response plan to enhance surveillance and contact tracing, including environmental surveillance and water sampling, strengthen laboratory testing capacity, preposition cholera supplies and support infection prevention and control measures in designated treatment centre facilities.On 4 and 5 October, a WHO shipment of essential health supplies arrived in Beirut to support the response to the ongoing emergency. The shipment of over 116 metric tons included cholera supplies as part of the preparedness and response plan. WHO will continue to procure and preposition essential cholera supplies, including laboratory supplies.As part of the efforts to contain the outbreak, WHO and the Ministry of Public Health will explore whether to introduce oral cholera vaccines in high-risk areas to interrupt the transmission as early as possibleWHO is also supporting the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre at the Ministry of Public Health to coordinate response activities at national and subnational level in coordination with the health sector. These response activities include maintaining essential health services to ensure no interruption of health delivery while supporting case identification and management at health facilities, as well as strengthening risk communication and community engagement activities so that people are aware of symptoms, risk factors and preventive measures.By implementing the comprehensive cholera preparedness and response plan, WHO together with MoPH and partners aims to limit transmission, reduce the burden of the disease, and improve overall health outcomes. 

Geneva 17 October 2024 – This afternoon, His Excellency Mr Jérôme Bonnafont, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations in Geneva, and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met in the WHO headquarters for the signing of seven contribution agreements.The contribution totalling €24 million comes through the Ministry of Europe & Foreign Affairs. It fits in the France–WHO Framework Agreement for 2020 to 2025, which provides both a strategic framework for engagement, aligned with WHO priorities, while providing legal, administrative and financial instruments for operationalizing collaboration.This latest contribution includes a generous €4.5 million in fully flexible voluntary funds for the Core Voluntary Contributions Account (CVCA).Additionally, France will support key areas of WHO’s work, addressing some of the most pressing health challenges, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs), urban health labs, One Health, funding for the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE), and several emergencies, such as the WHO response in Gaza, response to cholera outbreaks and mental health support in Ukraine.France will also continue to support the WHO emergencies centre in Lyon which is playing a crucial role in preparedness and response to epidemics.Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont underscored the importance of this collaboration: “France remains deeply committed to supporting the World Health Organization in its efforts to tackle critical global health challenges. These agreements reflect our shared priorities of promoting health equity, responding to emergencies, and strengthening healthcare systems worldwide.”Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, expressed his gratitude, stating, “We are immensely grateful to the French Government for its steadfast support to WHO, continued partnership and leadership in global health. This contribution will enable us to address key health threats, from non-communicable diseases to emergency response, helping to save lives and protect the most vulnerable populations.”France is a strong supporter of a fully and flexibly financed WHO, providing leadership and support to the increase of assessed contributions to the Organization. France is also one of the co-hosts to WHO’s first Investment Round towards the mobilization of predictable and flexible resources for WHO’s core work on the Fourteenth General Programme of Work (2025–2028), approved by the World Health Assembly in 2024.This signing ceremony marks another milestone in the strong and longstanding partnership between WHO and France, reinforcing their joint commitment to a healthier, safer world.

Parliamentarians from across the globe gathered at the UNITE Global Summit in Berlin to sign a statement in support of the World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement. The statement, signed by the President of UNITE, members of its board, and parliamentarians around the world, marks a significant commitment from parliamentarians to strengthen pandemic preparedness, response, and equitable access to health. “Parliamentarians are the voice of the people and have a crucial responsibility in safeguarding public health,” said Ricardo Baptista Leite, President of UNITE. “The WHO Pandemic Agreement represents a historic opportunity to prevent pandemics and strengthen our global preparedness and response capabilities. By signing this statement, we are not only showing our support for the agreement but also pledging to ensure that its principles of equity, solidarity, and global cooperation are fully realized in every nation.”The UNITE Global Summit, this year held in collaboration with the World Health Summit (WHS), is a high level gathering with a unique convergence of global parliamentarians, civil society leaders, and health experts. The summit aims to translate discussions into actionable policy priorities. It focuses on critical health challenges under four main pillars: Human Rights & Equitable Access to Health, Global Health Architecture & Security, Strengthening of Healthcare Systems, and Sustainable Financing for Health. The signing of the Global Parliamentary Statement in Support of the Pandemic Agreement is one of the summit’s key highlights, demonstrating the critical role of parliamentarians in ensuring global health security and safeguarding populations against future pandemics.The Pandemic Agreement, currently under negotiation by WHO Member States, aims to address gaps exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the threats posed by mpox and other disease outbreaks. It seeks to strengthen global collaboration on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. This statement represents Parliamentarians’ commitment to protect their fellow citizens by ensuring that all countries, regardless of resources, have equitable access to the tools, capacities, resources, and healthcare required during pandemics, including to vaccines, treatments, medical supplies, and vital healthcare information.WHO Director-General welcomed this strong show of parliamentary support. “The WHO Pandemic Agreement represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a stronger, fairer, and more prepared global health system,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “By signing this statement, parliamentarians from around the world are showing their commitment to protecting lives from future pandemics and ensuring equitable access to vaccines, treatments, diagnostics and other health tools for every country, particularly those with fewer resources.”As representatives of their citizens, parliamentarians worldwide are uniquely positioned to advocate for the conclusion of a meaningful Pandemic Agreement and for its ratification and implementation afterwards. The Global Parliamentary Statement emphasizes four key commitments: Equity at the Core: Ensuring equitable access to pandemic-related health tools based on public health need for everyone, especially countries with fewer resources.Global Solidarity: Strengthening international cooperation to build resilient health systems that can prevent and respond to pandemics.Legislative Action: Advocating for the ratification and implementation of the Pandemic Agreement within national legislatures, as appropriate.Combating Misinformation: Providing communities with evidence-based health information to counter the spread of harmful misinformation.Baptista Leite further emphasized the importance of collective action: “The challenges we face today demand a global response. No single country can prevent or combat pandemics alone. The WHO Pandemic Agreement is an essential step forward in ensuring that every nation has the tools, resources, and capabilities to respond to future health threats.” The WHO Pandemic Agreement needs to continue to garner broad international support from governments, global health organizations, and civil society. It reflects a shared understanding that pandemics know no borders and that global solidarity is essential for safeguarding the health and well-being of all people. The agreement also underscores the importance of sustainable financing, research and development, and capacity-building efforts to ensure that countries can respond swiftly and effectively to health emergencies.As part of their commitment, parliamentarians will work closely with WHO and other international organizations to ensure that the Pandemic Agreement is implemented in a way that benefits all countries, particularly those with limited resources. The statement signed in Berlin is expected to act as a catalyst for global parliamentary action, fostering collaboration and solidarity among nations. 

Since the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon on 17 September 2024, WHO has verified 23 attacks on health care in Lebanon that have led to 72 deaths and 43 injuries among health workers and patients. Fifteen incidents impacted health facilities, while 13 impacted health transport. Hospitals in Lebanon are already under massive strain as they strive to sustain essential health services while dealing with an unprecedented influx of injured people. Understaffed and under-resourced, the health system has been struggling to maintain uninterrupted services to all those in need with supplies being depleted and health workers exhausted.Increasing conflict, intense bombardment and insecurity are forcing a growing number of health facilities to shut down, particularly in the south. Out of 207 primary health care centres and dispensaries in conflict-affected areas, 100 are now closed. Hospitals have had to close or evacuate due to structural damage or their proximity to areas of intense bombardment. As of today, 5 hospitals have been evacuated and another 5 partially evacuated, with critical cancer and dialysis patients referred to other hospitals also overwhelmed by increasing health needs. Dialysis centres are having to operate an extra three shifts to accommodate the referred patients while being under-resourced for essential blood testing supplies and personnel.“The situation in Lebanon is alarming. Attacks on health care debilitate health systems and impede their ability to continue to perform. They also prevent entire communities from accessing health services when they need them the most,” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. “WHO is working tirelessly with the Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon to address critical gaps and support the continuity of essential health services, but what people of Lebanon need most is an immediate ceasefire.”In response to growing needs, WHO is supporting with delivery of essential supplies. On 4 and 5 October, four flights containing medical supplies for trauma care, cholera prevention and mental health treatment arrived from WHO’s logistics hub in Dubai to Beirut. The supplies, currently being distributed to priority hospitals in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health, are enough to treat around 100 000 patients. WHO is working to bring in additional supplies.WHO continues to coordinate with the Lebanese Red Cross and hospitals to equip blood banks with adequate supplies, including testing supplies to support safe blood donation. Surgical trauma capacities, including life-limb saving skills are also being strengthened through war trauma surgery trainings for surgeons of various disciplines. WHO is also working with Ministry of Public Health of Lebanon to establish trauma centers within the existing referral hospitals and to plan for the deployment of Emergency Medical Teams.WHO support is ongoing to the ministry’s Epidemiological Surveillance Unit to expand community-based surveillance on priority diseases in shelters hosting displaced people, especially for acute watery diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and other communicable diseases. WHO is also working to ensure that shelters are linked with primary health centres to support continuation of health services and dispensing essential medications.WHO calls for attacks on health care to stop. Health care should be protected at all times. Peace is the only solution.