Margaret Chan
World Health Organization Rejects Call to Postpone Olympics Amid Zika Fears
WHO has called Zika a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern,” but is not concerned about it enough to postpone or move the 2016 Olympics from Rio.
The UN's Health Agency Just Downgraded the Threat Level for the Deadliest Ebola Outbreak Ever
More than two years after the spread of the virus began in West Africa, claiming more than 11,300 lives, the World Health Organization today declared an end to the international public health emergency declaration the outbreak had warranted.
World Health Organization Calls Emergency Meeting as Outbreak of Zika Virus Spreads
WHO will determine whether the explosive spread of the virus constitutes "a public health emergency of international concern.” It will also examine an apparent link between the virus and cases of babies being born with microcephaly.
Ebola Cases Quadruple in Guinea and Sierra Leone as Rainy Season Sets In
A majority of the new cases showed up in Guinea, with the World Health Organization stressing that the hemorrhagic fever "will not go quietly."
The Bubonic Plague Is Still Killing People in Madagascar
Since the 1990s, the plague has become endemic to Madagascar, with the most recent outbreak flaring up in the capital city of Antananarivo in November.
Cuba Pledges Healthcare Workers to Fight Ebola in West Africa
As the death toll from the virus surged past 2,400 people, Cuba announced plans to send send 63 doctors and more than 100 nurses to Sierra Leone.
The Spread of the Ebola Virus Is Officially an International Health Emergency
After an emergency meeting, global health officials agreed that the outbreak in West Africa presents a public health risks to other states.