On Thursday, Uganda confirmed an outbreak of the Ebola virus in its capital city Kampala, with the first confirmed patient dying from it a day before. As per the new developments, the officials are now preparing to deploy a trial vaccine to put an end to this outbreak.

Groups of scientists are working on the vaccine and deployment of more than 2,000 doses of a candidate vaccine against the Sudan strain of Ebola has been planned and confirmed by the Uganda Virus Research Institute. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), Uganda has access to 2,169 doses of trial vaccine. For now, however, there are no approved vaccines for the strain and officials are still investigating the source of the outbreak.

The WHO had also allocated $1 million from its contingency fund for emergencies to support quick action and contain the outbreak in the country.

Confirmed Case

On Wednesday, the Sudan strain of Ebola killed a nurse employed at Kampala's main referral hospital. It is after his death that Ebola was declared an outbreak in the country. Post-mortem samples too have confirmed the Sudan Ebola Virus Disease and at least 44 contacts of the deceased man have been listed for tracing. 30 of these are health workers.

Ebola is a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever, which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and tissue. Symptoms include headache, vomiting of blood, muscle pains and bleeding.

it was in the late 2022, when Uganda had last suffered an Ebola outbreak. It killed 55 of the 143 people who were infected and was declared over on January 11, 2023.

What Is Ebola Virus Disease?

As per the WHO, Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a rare but severe illness in humans and is often fatal. People can get infected with the virus if they touch an infected animal when preparing food, or touch body fluids of an infected person such as saliva, urine, faeces or semen, or things that have body fluids of an infected person like clothes or sheets.

How Does Transmission Work?

Ebola enters the body through cuts in the skin or when one is touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Early symptoms include fever, fatigue and headache.

It was first discovered in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreak, when in Nzara, South Sudan and other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter occurred near a village near the Ebola River, which is where it gets its name from.

It is highly infectious and transmissible disease, in fact, there have been cases of health-care workers who have frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola. This occurs through close contact with patients when infection control precautions are not practiced strictly.

Cases of people conducted burial ceremonies, involving direct contact with the body of the deceased too can lead to the transmission of Ebola. Even after the long suffering and recovery, there is a possibility of sexual transmission. Pregnant women who get acute Ebola and recover may still carry the virus in their breastmilk, or in pregnancy related fluids and tissues.

Symptoms:

• feeling tired
• headache
• muscle and joint pain
• eye pain and vision problems
• weight gain
• belly pain and loss of appetite
• hair loss and skin problems
• trouble sleeping
• memory loss
• hearing loss
• depression and anxiety

India’s Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive that began a fortnight ago has already vaccinated nearly 3 lakh girls aged 14 years, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The nationwide free HPV vaccination campaign for girls aged 14 years was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Rajasthan's Ajmer on February 28.

“Within just a fortnight of its launch, nearly 3 lakh girls aged 14 years have already been vaccinated—marking an encouraging start to this critical public health initiative,” the health ministry said.

"The enthusiastic participation seen so far reflects growing awareness among parents, schools, and communities about the importance of early protection," it added.

Further, the Ministry noted that several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha, and Mizoram, have seen a significant uptake in the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign.

The initiative marked a decisive step towards eliminating cervical cancer through timely HPV vaccination.

Cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among women in India. Nearly 80,000 new cases and over 42,000 deaths are reported annually in the country.

The Ministry said that despite examinations currently underway in many regions, the response to the campaign has remained strong, and the momentum is expected to accelerate significantly in the coming days.

“We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the daughters of the country are healthy and prosperous. The objective of this initiative is the prevention of cervical cancer," the Prime Minister, earlier wrote in a post on social media platform X.

The government has urged parents and guardians to support and encourage eligible girls to get vaccinated at the earliest.

HPV Vaccine in India

HPV vaccination is voluntary, and parental consent is mandatory before administration of the vaccine.

The single-dose Gardasil-4 vaccine is administered free of cost at government health facilities across all areas, including rural and underserved areas, and will be available even after the campaign ends.

The vaccine used is non-live and does not cause HPV infection. It is supported by more than 500 million doses administered globally since its introduction in 2006.

The vaccine is most effective when it is administered before exposure to HPV and before becoming sexually active. Young women aged 9 to 14 years show vaccine effectiveness of 74 to 93 per cent and this decreases with age.

• Girls aged 9 to 14 should get two doses of the vaccine 6 to 12 months apart
• Women aged 15 to 26 years can get three doses in 0, 2, and 6 months apart
• Adults aged 27 to 45 must get it after consultation with their healthcare provider

To avail the free HPV vaccine, visit any government health facilities including

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs- Primary Health Centres (PHCs

Argentina has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), its foreign minister has announced.

The country follows the footsteps of the United States, which in January made its exit from the global health body, after President Donald Trump condemned the WHO for not properly handling the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Argentina, a key ally of Trump, also criticized the WHO on its role during COVID and made the formal notification of withdrawal last year. Based on the provisions of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the withdrawal takes effect one year after a notification is made.

Taking to the social media platform X, the country's Foreign Ministry reported that Argentina has now completed the withdrawal process within the timeframe stipulated by international treaties.

"Today, Argentina's withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) takes effect, marking one year since the formal notification made by our country," Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said on X.

"Our country will continue to promote international cooperation in health through bilateral agreements and regional forums, fully safeguarding its sovereignty and its decision-making capacity in health policy matters," he added.

In 2025, Argentina declared that "the WHO's recommendations are ineffective because they are not based on science, but on political interests", the AFP reported.

Presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni told a press conference at the time that the decision "gives the country greater flexibility to implement policies adapted to the context and interests that Argentina requires, as well as greater availability of resources, and reaffirms our path towards a country with sovereignty also in matters of health", Xinhua news agency reported.

US' Withdrawal From The WHO

While WHO's membership is nearly universal, and withdrawals are extremely uncommon, the United States, earlier in January this year, became the first country to formally withdraw from the UN health body.

It comes a year after Trump signed an executive order to exit the multinational grouping on his return to the White House.

In its statements, the United States cited as one of the reasons for its decision, “WHO failures during the COVID-19 pandemic”, including “obstructing the timely and accurate sharing of critical information” and that the WHO “concealed those failures”.

The World Health Organization (WHO) was founded on April 7, 1948, when its constitution officially came into force, making it a specialized agency of the United Nations.

The global health body has been instrumental in eradicating smallpox and tackling public health threats like polio, HIV, Ebola, and tuberculosis.

Global Health Funding Takes A Hit

In January, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he deeply regretted the move, saying it would make the United States and the rest of the world unsafe.

The withdrawal of the US -- accounting for nearly a fifth of the WHO’s budget -- also affected its budget. Ghebreyesus also warned of falling donor support and severe budget cuts.

The agency is facing “the greatest disruption to global health financing in memory” as contributions fall sharply across the board, the WHO chief said.

The WHO has revised its financial plans, scaling back its current spending and proposing a 21 percent cut for the 2026-2027 budget cycle.

In November 2025, the global health body announced that its workforce will shrink by nearly a quarter or over 2,000 jobs by mid 2026.

In 2024, an estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday, including 2.3 million newborns, according to an alarming new report by the United Nations today.

A majority of the deaths could have been prevented with proven, low-cost interventions and access to better health care, revealed the Levels & Trends in Child Mortality report.

While child mortality under-five globally has fallen by more than half since 2000, the pace of reduction slowed down by more than 60 percent after 2015.

“The world has made remarkable progress in saving children’s lives, but many still die from preventable causes,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“Children living amid conflict and crisis are nearly three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday. We must protect essential health and nutrition services and reach the most vulnerable families so every child has the chance not only to survive, but to thrive,” he added.

Key Findings

• Children under five years:

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) claimed more than 100,000 children aged 1-59 months in 2024, mainly in Pakistan, Somalia, and Sudan.

Notably, malnutrition weakens children’s immunity and increases their risk of dying from common childhood diseases.

• Newborn deaths -- nearly half of all under-five deaths occurred in newborns. Leading causes include:

Complications during labor and delivery (21 percent)

Infections, including neonatal sepsis and congenital anomalies

• In infants and toddlers, major killers were infectious diseases such as

diarrhea,

pneumonia

• Children and youth aged 5–24 -- an estimated 2.1 milliondied in 2024.

In adolescents, self-harm was the leading cause of death among girls aged 15–19, and road traffic injuries among boys.

• Countries With Most Deaths

• conflict,
• climate shocks,
• invasive mosquitoes,
• drug resistance,
• Low access to prevention and treatment.

Europe and Northern America -- 9 per cent

Australia and New Zealand -- 6 per cent.

Southern Asia -- 25 per cent of all under-five deaths

Children and youth between 5 and 24 years old

How To Prevent

The report called for increasing investments in child health with low-cost interventions, such as

• vaccines
• treatment for severe acute malnutrition
• boost primary health care systems and community health workers
• transparent data collection, tracking, and reporting
• focus on mothers and children at highest risk
• make quality healthcare more affordable

“History has shown what is possible when the world commits to protecting its children. With sustained investment and political will, we can continue to build on those achievements for future generations,” Russell added.