Alarm over a growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda intensified after the World Health Organization declared it a "public health emergency of international concern". The WHO said the outbreak, driven by the Bundibugyo virus, falls short of the threshold for a pandemic emergency. Even so, it warned that countries sharing land borders with the DRC face a high risk of further transmission. In a statement, the UN health agency said 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246…

Wednesday May 13, 2026 Egyptian diplomats moved quickly after pirates seized a commercial cargo vessel with an Egyptian crew off the Somali coast, as Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs and Egyptians Abroad Ambassador Haddad El-Gohary laid out the steps taken to safeguard the sailors and push for their release. Speaking by phone on Al-Hayat TV, El-Gohary rejected claims that the pirates had singled out the Egyptian crew. He said such attacks are typically indiscriminate, with pirates boarding vessels before…

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…

A shocking new survey highlights a distressing trend in Liberia: a staggering 90% of women reportedly use antibiotics monthly to address their menstrual issues. This revelation has alarmed health experts, who label the findings "frightening" and express deep concern about the potential for escalating antibiotic resistance within the nation. Antibiotic misuse has long been a significant issue plaguing Liberia's healthcare system. Health officials are increasingly worried that the very medications essential for treating…

Shielded from the freezing void outside their spacecraft, the Artemis II astronauts still face one of deep space travel’s most persistent threats: radiation. NASA is now waiting closely for data that could reveal how much exposure the crew endured and what it means for future missions. The four astronauts traveled farther into space than any humans before them, venturing more than 1,000 times farther from Earth than the International Space Station. In low Earth orbit, the planet’s magnetosphere helps blunt some of the…

Friday April 10, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia and Italy on Thursday sealed an agreement to launch the QEPHS-SOM project, a new effort intended to bolster the country’s primary health services and broaden access to care. The deal was signed in Mogadishu by Somali Minister of Health Dr. Ali Haji Aden and Italy’s Ambassador to Somalia, Pier Mario Daccò Coppi, with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) involved in the partnership. The signing ceremony was attended by AICS Head Fabio Minniti and agency official…

In a landmark development, French President Emmanuel Macron has designated Ghana as the first nation to benefit from France's National Health Platform. This innovative digital system aims to create secure, patient-focused health records, enhance professional communication, and expand telemedicine capabilities. This announcement came during a significant bilateral meeting in Paris with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. The discussions took place against the backdrop of the One Health Summit in Lyon, where both leaders…

Tuesday April 7, 2026 Patients receive medical care at the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia, Sept. 9, 2025. (AA Photo) In Mogadishu, Türkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital has become far more than a place for treatment. Drawing patients from Somalia and beyond its borders, the facility now stands as a regional referral center, backed by modern equipment, specialist teams and training programs that are helping reshape health care in Somalia. Its growing role…

A surge in meningitis cases tied to an outbreak in Kent, England, is expected, a senior health official warned, as investigators examine whether the bacteria has started spreading more readily. Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: "This is a very unusual outbreak." UKHSA announced five additional meningitis cases yesterday morning, lifting the number under investigation by health officials to 20. Fresh figures due this morning are anticipated to push the total higher.…

Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian couple and their two young children in the town of Tammun in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials said Saturday, as violence flared across the territory and in Gaza. The Palestinian health ministry said four members of one family — a 37-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman and two boys ages 5 and 7 — arrived at the Turkish Public Hospital in Tubas with gunshot wounds after troops opened fire on their vehicle. The Palestinian Red Crescent said its teams recovered the…