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STORY: WHO / GLOBAL HEALTH PRESSER
TRT: 07:00
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT WHO ON SCREEN
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 02 JULY 2026, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, WHO headquarters
02 JULY 2026, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. Wide shot, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“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 over.”
4. Wide shot, press briefing room
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“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.”
6. Wide shot, press briefing room
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“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.”
8. Wide shot, press briefing room
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“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.”
10. Wide shot, press briefing room
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“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.”
12. Wide shot, press briefing room
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“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.”
14. Wide shot, press briefing room
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Vasee Moorthy, Lead (ai) R&D Blueprint, Office of Chief Scientist, WHO:
“From what we see at the moment, this is going to take some time. So, we shouldn't expect that this is going to be over in weeks. It will take some months. It could go even into next year. It could that we need over a thousand patients enrolled in the trial until we get a definitive answer it could that will be earlier if there's a very high efficacy from the trial.”
16. Wide shot, press briefing room
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Vasee Moorthy, Lead (ai) R&D Blueprint, Office of Chief Scientist, WHO:
“In terms of the involvement with the community, we always see the discussions with the community as absolutely central, because all this is about protecting the community. So, we have community advisory panels with representatives from all of the relevant, trusted stakeholder groups on the ground so including healthcare workers, community leaders, faith groups, and other leaders on the ground.”
18. Wide shot, press briefing room
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“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.”
20. Wide shot, press briefing room
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“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.”
22. Wide shot, press briefing room
23. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“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.”
24. Wide shot, press briefing room
25. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme:
“Uganda has a track history of being actually very good in investigating cases of viral haemorrhagic fevers. I think this is the they've had four previous outbreaks of Marburg in Uganda and have always proven, especially in the context of this last Ebola response, their capacities to detect and respond appropriately.”
26. Wide shot, press briefing room
27. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“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.”
28. Wide shot, press briefing room
29. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“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.”
30. Wide shot, press briefing room
31. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“We have also disbursed 1.5 million U.S. dollars 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.”
32. Wide shot, press briefing room
33. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme:
“Of course, the question on everyone's mind would be: Are we seeing an increase in these outbreaks? Is this actually uncommon? Do we expect it to be one time in a decade that we have three significant incidents happening in three months, leading to a significant response by WHO? No, we don't think so. We think that this will continue, and this will definitely be part of the work that we will have to do moving forward.”
34. Wide shot, press briefing room
35. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme:
“So, what does this mean for all of us? How do we respond? Do we respond with increasing travel bans and trade restrictions? Or do we respond by supporting the countries to improve their own preparedness, their own ability to detect and respond? Do we respond in solidarity, or do we respond by isolating these countries? And so those are the questions that are on our minds at the World Health Organization at the moment.”
36. Wide shot, press briefing room
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius over, even as it warned that Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to climb and confirmed a new case of Marburg virus disease in Uganda.
“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,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters. “No further cases have been reported since the 25th of May. We are therefore very pleased to say that WHO considers the outbreak over.”
He said the total caseload from the outbreak remained at 13, including three deaths, with more than 650 contacts identified and followed up by health authorities in 33 countries and territories.
Turning to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, Tedros said the epidemic “continues to expand, with an average of 38 new confirmed cases every day for the past two weeks.” He put the confirmed case count at 1,406, with 438 deaths, adding that the response was being strengthened “under the government's leadership.”
The Director-General said a clinical trial of two therapeutics began earlier Thursday with the enrolment of the first patient. The PARTNERS trial will evaluate the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir, both alone and in combination, he said, noting the study is coordinated by the DRC's National Institute for Biomedical Research with support from a coalition of partners including WHO, in cooperation with affected communities. Patients enrolled will receive “comprehensive supportive care and close follow-up,” he said, adding that WHO is working to ensure access to the drugs should they prove safe and effective.
Dr Vasee Moorthy, acting lead for the R&D Blueprint in WHO's Office of the Chief Scientist, cautioned that results would not come quickly. “From what we see at the moment, this is going to take some time. So, we shouldn't expect that this is going to be over in weeks. It will take some months. It could go even into next year,” he said, adding that “more than a thousand patients may need to be enrolled before a definitive answer emerges,” or it could be earlier if there's a “very high efficacy from the trial.”
Moorthy stressed the centrality of community engagement to the trial, saying WHO has established “community advisory panels with representatives from all of the relevant, trusted stakeholder groups on the ground including healthcare workers, community leaders, faith groups, and other leaders.”
Tedros also announced that WHO has granted emergency use listing to the first molecular diagnostic test for Bundibugyo virus. But he said the response continues to face “mistrust and violence,” citing an attack this week on an Ebola treatment centre in Ituri province in which two people were killed. “The centre was set on fire, and patients fled,” he said.
On Uganda, Tedros said no new Ebola cases had been reported since 21 June, but that the country notified WHO on Tuesday of a confirmed case of Marburg virus disease in the western Kyegegwa District. Health authorities are monitoring all identified contacts, none of whom have so far shown symptoms, he said, adding that WHO is supporting investigations into the source of exposure and the public health risk.
On Venezuela, Tedros said last week's earthquake has left more than 2,300 people dead, over 5,000 injured and nearly 16,000 homeless, with the death toll expected to rise “considerably” as search and rescue efforts shift to recovery. He said WHO is coordinating international Emergency Medical Teams on the ground and has disbursed $1.5 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies, alongside more than six metric tons of emergency medical supplies already delivered and another 28 metric tons due to be shipped in the coming days.
Asked whether the concurrence of multiple outbreaks and disasters signaled a new normal, Ihekweazu said WHO believes it does. “Do we expect it to be one time in a decade that we have three significant incidents happening in three months, leading to a significant response by WHO? No, we don't think so. We think that this will continue, and this will definitely be part of the work that we will have to do moving forward,” he said.
He said the pattern raised broader questions for the international community. “Do we respond with increasing travel bans and trade restrictions? Or do we respond by supporting the countries to improve their own preparedness, their own ability to detect and respond? Do we respond in solidarity, or do we respond by isolating these countries,” he asked. “Those are the questions that are on our minds at the World Health Organization at the moment.”
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