WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing – 2 July 2026

Good afternoon to those in the room, and good morning, good afternoon and good evening to those online.

Today, the final contact of a person exposed to hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius completed their quarantine period, tested negative and returned home.

No further cases have been reported since the 25th of May.

We are therefore very pleased to say that WHO considers the outbreak of hantavirus over.

The total number of cases from the outbreak remains 13, including three deaths.

More than 650 contacts were identified and followed up by health authorities in 33 countries and territories.

Although the outbreak is over, WHO will continue working with governments and partners to advance our understanding of this outbreak and of hantavirus more generally.

We are also coordinating a study involving 21 countries to understand how the disease develops, which will support the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for future outbreaks.

Once again, I would like to thank all countries that supported the response, in line with the International Health Regulations:

Argentina, Cabo Verde, Chile, the Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom and especially Spain - muchas gracias - which showed incredible solidarity in supporting the safe disembarkation and repatriation of passengers and crew in Tenerife.

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Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Ebola outbreak continues to expand, with an average of 38 new confirmed cases every day for the past two weeks.

As of today, 1406 cases have been confirmed, and 438 people have died.

Under the government's leadership, we have continued to strengthen the response.

Testing capacity has now grown to 10 laboratories, set up closer to communities.

Contact tracing has improved, with four in five contacts now being followed up, although there still need to be many more contacts identified per case.

And treatment capacity has expanded, with about 650 beds available in 22 health centres - although about 96% of beds are currently occupied, and we are working on adding a further 300 beds.

Earlier today, the clinical trial of two therapeutics began, with the enrolment of the first patient.

The PARTNERS trial will evaluate the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir, alone and in combination.

The study is being coordinated by the DRC's National Institute for Biomedical Research, supported by a coalition of partners including WHO, and conducted in close cooperation with the affected communities.

Patients who enroll in the trial will receive comprehensive supportive care and close follow-up.

We are also working to ensure they have access to the two drugs should they prove safe and efficacious in the trial.

Also today, WHO has given emergency use listing to the first molecular diagnostic test for Bundibugyo virus.

Despite all this progress, we continue to face significant challenges, including mistrust and violence.

Just this week, an Ebola treatment centre in Ituri province was attacked, resulting in the deaths of two people. The centre was set on fire, and patients fled.

Such acts not only endanger patients and health workers but also impede efforts to stop transmission and save lives.

The complexity of the outbreak requires close coordination across the United Nations system.

Last week, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher and I signed a joint letter endorsing the appointment of Julien Harneis as Senior Ebola Coordinator.

Working closely with WHO, national authorities and partners, Mr Harneis will reinforce coordination across the response, address operational challenges and help ensure support reaches people who need it as quickly as possible.

In Uganda, no new cases of Ebola have been reported since the 21st of June.

However, on Tuesday this week, Uganda notified WHO of a confirmed case of Marburg virus disease in the country's western Kyegegwa District.

The case was identified through enhanced disease surveillance for Ebola.

Health authorities have informed WHO that they are monitoring all identified contacts, but so far, none have shown symptoms.

WHO is supporting investigations to determine the source of exposure, assess the public health risk, and to support community engagement.

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The outbreaks of hantavirus, Ebola and Marburg all show why there is no alternative to international cooperation in the face of international threats. No country alone can fight.

Next week, WHO Member States will reconvene to continue negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.

Differences remain, but one thing is clear: countries remain committed to finding common ground, and consensus.

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Now to Venezuela.

Last week's earthquake has left more than 2300 people dead, more than 5000 injured and almost 16,000 homeless.

As search and rescue efforts switch to recovery, the total number of dead is likely to rise considerably.

WHO is coordinating the work of international Emergency Medical Teams, who are on the ground providing care for the injured, and to support the national health system in providing routine care for those who need it.

We have also disbursed US$ 1.5 million from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies;

And we have sent more than six metric tons of emergency medical supplies, with another 28 metric tons due to be shipped in the coming days.

The earthquake compounds an already severe humanitarian crisis, stretching a health system that was already struggling to meet people's needs.

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Outbreaks and earthquakes capture headlines, but around the world, there is an invisible threat that kills millions of people every year, but gets little attention: air pollution.

Prior to 2020, the world made steady progress in reducing air pollution.

But new data published by WHO this week show that globally, levels of fine particulate matter PM2.5 have changed little since 2020.

Today, 6.5 billion people are still exposed to air pollution exceeding WHO interim targets of 35 micrograms per cubic metre.

Exposure to unsafe air is 13 times higher in low- and middle-income countries than high-income countries.

Air pollution is linked to diseases including heart disease, stroke and lung cancer, and is associated with 6.7 million premature deaths each year.

While Asia shows the greatest progress in reducing pollution, sub-Saharan and northern Africa have shown little to no change over the last decade.

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Finally, yesterday, President Emmanuel Macron of France and I published a joint op-ed about the impact of social media and other digital environments on the health of young people.

In the past year, several governments including Australia, Canada, France, Indonesia, Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom have all introduced measures to protect children from online harm.

Together, these measures reflect a growing global consensus that digital environments require effective governance, accountability, age-appropriate design, and stronger safeguards to protect child health.

Digital environments are not neutral. How they are designed, governed, and monetized shapes many aspects of our lives, including health.

For example, repeated exposure to stereotyped, sexualized, violent, or discriminatory content shapes how children understand themselves and the world around them.

It can also lead children to make unrealistic comparisons with others, undermining their confidence and self-esteem.

Algorithms increasingly filter health information to increase attention and engagement rather than accuracy, allowing misleading claims to spread.

And features including infinite scrolling, auto-play, personalized content and push notifications increase the risk for addictive behaviour.

The collection and use of personal data, particularly for profiling and targeted marketing, raise concerns about privacy, manipulation, and well-being.

WHO is responding to these concerns by strengthening research, advising countries, and promoting safe, equitable digital health environments.

Preventing exposure to illegal or extreme and graphic content is essential.

But children's well-being requires more than the absence of harm.

It depends on stable relationships, appropriate boundaries, physical activity, and opportunities for real-world social connection.

Above all, we must listen to young people.

They are not experimental subjects, a captive market, or a commodity.

They are our future. Together, we can - and must - shape digital environments that protect and support their health.

Christian, back to you.