Fears that central Africa’s Ebola outbreak could ripple beyond the region sharpened after Brazilian health officials said they are tracking two possible cases in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. In Sao Paulo, authorities said a 37-year-old man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) — the center of the current outbreak — "exhibited symptoms such as fever, meeting the definition of a suspected case" of Ebola, according to a state government statement issued yesterday. Although initial tests did not detect the Ebola…

Thursday May 21, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Ministry of Health said Thursday it is stepping up emergency readiness after Ebola outbreaks were reported in East and Central Africa, with officials moving quickly to reinforce surveillance and public awareness before any case reaches the country. State Minister of Health Dr. Maryan Mohamed Hussein said the federal government is prioritizing early detection, public education and coordination with regional health workers to help keep the disease out of Somalia. “Today, we are…

Thursday May 21, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Ministry of Health on Thursday stepped up Ebola preparedness efforts after new outbreaks were reported in East and Central Africa, warning that the country must remain vigilant as the virus spreads in the region. State Minister of Health Dr. Maryan Mohamed Hussein said federal authorities are concentrating on early detection, public education and closer coordination with regional health workers to keep the disease from entering Somalia. “Today, we are working on the…

A sweeping political declaration endorsed by 46 member states of the Council of Europe, the Strasbourg-based human rights body, could shape the way judges approach some of Europe’s most contested migration cases. Ireland is among the countries to back the declaration, which zeroes in on the deportation of criminals and the handling of asylum claims. It says that while migrants’ fundamental rights and freedoms “must be respected and protected in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination”, national governments retain…

A hantavirus outbreak tied to a cruise ship has left three people dead and six others confirmed infected, prompting a World Health Organization warning and plans to fly American passengers back to the United States. "As of 8 May, a total of eight cases, including three deaths (case fatality ratio 38%), have been reported. Six cases have been laboratory-confirmed as hantavirus infections, with all identified as Andes virus (ANDV)," it said in a statement. "WHO assesses the risk to the global population posed by this event as…

In a concerning development, Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi addressed Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Health following the alarming confirmation of Hantavirus in a severely ill British national in South Africa. Additionally, the health minister reported on a woman who collapsed at OR Tambo International Airport and unfortunately succumbed to her condition in South Africa. Her husband, who also fell ill, later died in St Helena. Both individuals were among the passengers aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOWednesday May 6, 2026 Muslim Religious leaders drawn from SUPKEM during the meeting. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO Religious leaders in Northeastern are sounding the alarm over what they describe as a “silent epidemic” of HIV and AIDS, calling for immediate, coordinated action to confront a health challenge they say is spreading under the weight of stigma and denial. The warning came during a high-level meeting in Garissa convened by the National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC) in collaboration with the…

Princess Kasune Zulu — once a child bride and later one of Zambia’s first public figures to reveal her HIV status in the late 1990s — is now driving a sweeping shift in criminal justice. Her ministry has spearheaded a law that makes sexual offences non-bailable, placing her at the forefront of a landmark legal overhaul. Under the reform, all sexual offences are now non-bailable. With the passage of the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Act No. 4 of 2026, suspects accused of grave crimes in Zambia — including child…

An outbreak of meningitis in Kent has seen its confirmed case count fall as a mass vaccination and antibiotic campaign for young people entered a fourth day. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said confirmed infections have been revised down from 23 to 20 following additional laboratory testing announced this morning. Suspected cases currently under investigation also decreased, dropping from 11 to nine, bringing the combined total to 29 — down from 34 reported yesterday. Nineteen of the 20 confirmed infections have been…

The meningitis outbreak centered in Kent in the UK has grown to 34 linked cases — up from 29 — as hundreds of students lined up for a third straight day to be vaccinated. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in an update this morning that 23 cases have been confirmed, with a further 11 cases that "remain under investigation". More than 400 people — students and others eligible — queued outside the University of Kent campus clinic for meningitis jabs at the start of the weekend. NHS Kent and Medway reported that 5,794…