The World Health Organization (WHO) is facing a double crisis as it begins its big annual meeting this week. Health leaders from around the world are rushing to respond to a scary outbreak of a rare virus on a cruise ship, alongside a fresh spike of deadly Ebola cases in Africa.
While these diseases were not originally the main focus of the meeting, they have quickly taken over the conversation. The rare “hantavirus” outbreak on a cruise ship has caught global attention because it shows how fast sickness can spread through international travel. At the same time, the new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo requires urgent medical teams and supplies to keep it from spreading out of control.
These outbreaks are hitting at a terrible time for the WHO. The organization has less money than usual after the United States and Argentina announced plans to leave and stop paying their dues. Because of these budget cuts, the WHO has already been forced to shrink its staff and cut back on some health programs.
Supporters of the agency say the Ebola and cruise ship crises are perfect examples of why the world needs a strong, fully funded global health watchdog. They warn that without the WHO to coordinate doctors and supplies, small outbreaks could easily turn into global emergencies.
Over the next few days, countries at the meeting will try to look past their political disagreements to find a way to fund these emergency medical responses before the viruses spread any further.
