Rumbi Chakamba

Lenacapavir — a long-acting injectable form of HIV prevention taken twice a year — is being hailed by some experts as the closest thing the world currently has to an HIV vaccine. If widely accessible, it could dramatically reduce new infections and potentially reshape the course of the epidemic. Momentum behind the drug is growing.

The World Health Organization has revised its assessment of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from high to very high as cases continue to rise rapidly. Previously, WHO had assessed the risk as high at both the national and regional levels, and low globally, but at a media briefing Friday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency was now escalating its assessment. So far, 82 cases have been confirmed in the DRC, including seven confirmed deaths.

Germany adds €25 million to WHO to shore up outbreak surveillance and emergency response as the agency grapples with widening budget pressures. Germany has pledged an additional €25 million ($29 million) to the World Health Organization in 2026 to help fund core functions that remain chronically underfunded, particularly in health security. These include surveillance systems, outbreak prevention, and emergency response.