Health and Human Rights News
News to 23 May 2026
WHO declares emergency over Ebola outbreak…
The World Health Organization declared the Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 15 May amidst serious concern that it may soon spread across the border to South Sudan. The strain identified is caused by Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) which presently has no vaccine or treatment and reports suggest at least 500 suspected cases and 130 deaths in DRC as of 19 May.
…International organizations respond
The World Health Organization, the DRC government and international partners are responding rapidly to slow the spread of the high mortality virus. Since the declaration of the public health outbreak WHO has delivered 11.5 tonnes of vital medical supplies and equipment. The UN World Food Program said the outbreak will demand cross cutting efforts as it is not just a health emergency, but “a crisis of conflict, hunger, and displacement.”
79th World Health Assembly underway
On May 18, 2026, in Geneva, the 79th World Health Assembly brought together global health leaders and parliamentarians. A primary focus of the assembly is the critical state vote on the final annex of the global pandemic agreement.
Climate change and health crisis
The Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health—convened by the WHO Regional Director for Europe—issued a direct Call to Action. The commission declared climate change an immediate health crisis, warning that the pan-European region is the fastest-heating on Earth.
See also: EDITORIAL Health Rights and the Urgency of the Climate Crisis Carmel Williams and Gillian MacNaughton, Volume 23/2, December 2021
WHO guide: Put health at the center of climate decisions
The World Health Organization launched its advocacy, communications, and partnerships plan that operationalizes the World Health Assembly’s mandate to position health at the center of global climate, clean air, and energy agendas. The plan provides practical support including, “ready-to-use messaging on the health case for climate action, technical guidance for negotiators in UN and other processes, and a coordinated voice across the UN system.”
Türk: Build sustainable houses for people everywhere
UN Chief Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk urged the international community to commit to developing sustainable housing solutions for people everywhere. Speaking to the 13th World Urban Forum this week, he warned of the growing global housing crisis, compounded by climate-induced disasters, proliferating conflicts, and deepening inequities. “Even as challenges grow, so does our capacity to respond with creativity, solidarity, commitment – and human rights at the centre,” he said.
Nations investing in war rather than wellbeing
The right to development is under threat as nations are investing in war rather than in the wellbeing of their populations, the High Commissioner for Human Rights told the UN Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development. Volker Türk urged States to “recommit to economies and societies that deliver for everyone” and expressed grave concern at current trends in global security.
Crisis of multilateralism and global economic order
Recent global meetings, including the IMF, World Bank, and the ECOSOC Financing for Development Forum are highlighting a crisis of multilateralism, says the Center for Economic and Social Rights. “… when war economies are devastating people and the planet, implementation cannot mean business as usual.” They call for a rights-based economy where public resources serve public goods, and the rights and dignity of people and planet come before private profit.
See also: Are Development Finance Institutions Meeting Their Human Rights Obligations in Health? Anna Marriott, Anjela Taneja and Linda Oduor-Noah, Vol 25/2, 2023
SDGs off track as serious health crises loom
The Sustainable Development Goals are badly off track, warned UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk. “One in four people around the world face food insecurity, and one in three lack adequate housing. The recent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global energy markets and supplies, with the potential to create serious hunger and healthcare crises.”
See also: The Equity Effect of Universal Health Care, Anja Rudiger, Vol 25/2, 2023
Life in Gaza remains perilous
Despite the ceasefire agreement in October 2025, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said continuing Israeli attacks have killed at least 856 Palestinians and wounded 2,463 others, according to Gaza Health Ministry. The Board of Peace, chaired by Donald Trump, issued a six-month progress report on 15 May claiming aid had increased by over 70% and basic food needs have been stabilised. HRW disputes claims of success, “The plan was supposed to bring relief. Instead, Palestinians in Gaza are still hungry, still cannot reach medical care, and civilians are still being killed.”
Forever chemicals allowed back in US drinking water
The Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency is to roll back limits on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS (forever chemicals), in drinking water. The Biden administration established the limits on six of these substances in 2024, after evidence found long-term exposure to PFAS was linked to kidney cancer, immune system suppression, developmental delays in infants and children.
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