Infectious Disease

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A map titled "Where the 2026 Ebola Outbreak is Spreading" shows confirmed and suspected cases of Bundibugyo virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda as of June 1, 2026. Affected regions are shaded in salmon/orange-red, and affected cities are marked with black dots. Ituri Province in northeastern DRC is labeled as having seen the most cases and is the largest highlighted region. Additional affected areas in DRC include militia-controlled Goma in North Kivu and areas near Bukavu in South Kivu. In Uganda, Kampala is marked as having confirmed nine cases. A small inset map shows the location of the outbreak region within the broader African continent. Source: Ministry of Health, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Charting Ebola Responses: How 2026 Stacks Up After Aid Cuts

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An Ebola outbreak circulating undetected for weeks or months is a collective failure of global health security, regardless of cause

A volunteer is guided through the full donning sequence for special pathogen personal protective equipment during a training seminar led by Syra Madad, chief biopreparedness officer for NYC Health + Hospitals, on February 2, 2026.

How NYC Practices for Ebola and Special Pathogen Outbreaks

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NYC Health + Hospitals has added virtual reality training to reinforce its readiness for high-consequence infectious diseases

The World Health Assembly Reacts to the Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak

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A Chatham House fellow reports from WHA79 about how the new Ebola emergency has advanced conversations about actionable health reform

The regional supply chain lead for emergencies at the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Africa pastes stickers on shipment pallets that are being sent in response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 18, 2026.

Hantavirus Outbreak Tests Global Health Law Amid WHO Crisis

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As international negotiations stall around pathogen access and benefit sharing, the Andes virus outbreak exemplifies why the system is needed

Civil guard members approach the cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, on a motorboat, at the port of Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife, Spain, on May 11, 2026.

London Opens New Clinic for Tuberculosis Survivors

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Many TB survivors are thrust back into the world with ongoing medical problems and little support to manage them

The x-ray scan is shown on a computer after a screening for tuberculosis, in London, England, on January 27, 2014.

Sustaining Tuberculosis Innovations to Counter Foreign Aid Cuts

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A new World Health Organization policy allows for portable TB testing, which could help close massive gaps in disease surveillance

A man is treated for tuberculosis, at the Muniz public hospital, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on January 11, 2019.

New U.S. Childhood Vaccine Schedule Creates Legal Peril

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A law professor weighs the legal protections for pediatricians and states following the rescheduling of certain childhood vaccines

An empty classroom at CIS 303: Leadership and Community Service Academy in the Bronx borough of New York City, U.S., on October 8, 2024.

Around the World, Chronic Diseases Are Rising

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A new iteration of the Global Burden of Disease Study charts how 25 leading health risks have improved or worsened

Six small line charts show global disease burden trends, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) per 100,000 people, from 2000 to 2023. The top row—diarrheal diseases, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis—shows steady declines. A vertical line in 2020 marks the COVID-19 pandemic. The bottom row—ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and depressive disorders—shows ischemic heart disease remaining high with slight fluctuation, while diabetes and depression rise modestly. Infectious diseases fall sharply as noncommunicable diseases rise.

America First in Global Health: How Africa Should Respond

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A new U.S. strategy reframes health assistance from a global public good to a strategic asset for national advantage

Scientific officer Anathi Nkayi works in the research lab at the University of Cape Town's Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, in Cape Town, South Africa February 17, 2025.

A New Malaria Drug Can Treat Infants—If Health Systems Support It

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In July, Coartem Baby became the first approved malaria treatment for newborns and infants

Map of Africa shaded to show malaria mortality rates among children under 5, measured per 100,000 people in 2021. Darker red indicates higher mortality, with rates up to 500. The highest rates appear across West and Central Africa, with Burkina Faso marked as having the highest rate. Countries in northern and southern Africa are shaded light gray, indicating very low or no reported mortality. A legend in the top right shows the gradient from 0 (light gray) to 500 (dark red).

Africa's Internal Migration Crisis

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Migrants in several African countries face a new, worrying social discriminatory phenomenon called medical xenophobia

Florence Mushimye poses for a portrait in a classroom where they are taking refuge after being asked to leave Kalenga village by the M23 rebels, in Sake, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on March 13, 2025.

Measles Takes Root in Mexico

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Measles is thriving and causing deaths among Mexico's unvaccinated communities, amid deep budget cuts to health care

A map shows confirmed measles cases in Mexico and the United States from January to mid-August 2025, with circle sizes representing total cases by state. In Mexico, Chihuahua has the largest circle in the country—much larger than any other federal state—indicating it has four and a half times more cases than Texas despite having about one-tenth its population. Chihuahua’s circle is bright orange, while Texas’s circle is dark blue and smaller. A legend shows reference circles for 40, 400, and 4,000 cases.