An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), marked by explosive expansion and tracing difficulties, dominates the global health agenda for the period, becoming the third largest ever recorded. In parallel, new data on childhood vaccination reveal a stagnation in global coverage, with 13.5 million "zero-dose" children in 2025 despite catch-up campaigns. On the diplomatic front, negotiations on the pandemic agreement have again been extended until September, deferring key decisions to the autumn.

The period is also marked by heightened attention to access and equity, with calls to strengthen newborn screening, promising pilot projects for HIV prevention in India, and new data on the paradox of female leadership in health: women make up 70% of the workforce but only 25% of leadership positions. Concrete but localized progress continues in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, notably in the Caribbean and the Comoros. Finally, the European regulatory agenda continues to take shape around support for innovation and greater consideration of women's health.

Ebola outbreak in the DRC: the WHO warns of a major health crisis

The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has escalated to maximum health alert. The Ebola epidemic has become the third largest ever recorded, with 2,073 cases and 796 deaths reported as of 16 July. In a communication, the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed an expansion faster than in any previous outbreak, reaching the threshold of 2,000 confirmed cases in under two months, compared with more than ten months for the 2018-2019 epidemic (WHO (@WHO), 16/07).

Two indicators are particularly worrying and point to a loss of control over transmission chains. First, over 80% of new cases in Ituri province, the epidemic's main focus, are detected outside known contact lists. Second, roughly two-thirds of deaths occur within communities, indicating that many patients never receive care in a health facility. In response, the WHO and Africa CDC are supporting the Congolese government in scaling up the response, with treatment capacity raised to more than 800 beds (WHO (@WHO), 16/07). At the same time, hope is emerging with the launch of the EBO-PEP clinical trial, the first to evaluate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with obeldesivir to counter the virus. This trial, conducted in partnership with Kinshasa's Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) and the Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le SIDA (ANRS), could offer a major new preventive tool if its results prove conclusive (WHO (@WHO), 14/07).

Global vaccination coverage: fragile progress that masks persistent inequalities

According to the annual estimates published jointly by the WHO and UNICEF, global vaccination efforts have regained ground lost during the pandemic. In 2025, coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (DTP1) reached 90%, and coverage for the full three-dose series (DTP3) reached 85%. These figures mark a slight increase over 2024, largely thanks to the "Big Catch-Up" initiative led with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which enabled the vaccination of 14 of the 34 million "zero-dose" children identified (WHO (@WHO), 16/07).

However, this progress remains fragile. Vaccination coverage has not returned to its 2019 levels and is stagnating within a narrow band observed since 2009. Above all, the new data reveal that there were still 13.5 million "zero-dose" children (having received no basic vaccination) in 2025. These persistent inequalities are central to concerns, as is the growing number of children who do not complete their vaccination schedule. Against this backdrop, Gavi has called on countries to begin preparing now for the introduction of a future group B streptococcus (GBS) vaccine, stressing the need to plan ahead in order to maximize the impact on maternal and child health (Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, 14/07). This access challenge is echoed in the WHO's 23 June call to intensify newborn screening for congenital anomalies. The latter, now accounting for nearly 8% of deaths among children under five, disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), home to 90% of the children concerned (WHO News, 23/06).

Pandemic agreement negotiations: diplomacy buys time

The intense diplomatic sequence that followed the World Health Assembly (contexte — 06/2026) failed to conclude negotiations on the future pandemic agreement. Initially extended until July, the discussions will ultimately continue until September 2026. This further extension, reported on 20 July, reflects the persistence of deep divergences among member states on key issues such as pathogen access and benefit-sharing (PABS) and technology transfer (Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), 20/07). Finalizing a binding and ambitious text before the end of the year remains a major challenge for the WHO and the international community.

Fighting AMR and the regulatory agenda: targeted advances

The fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is advancing through concrete initiatives at national and regional level. On 24 June, Barbados' Best-dos Santos public health laboratory became a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/WHO Collaborating Centre for AMR surveillance, a milestone in strengthening capacity in the Caribbean (Tedros WHO (@DrTedros), 24/06). In the Comoros, a quadripartite meeting validated the progress of the national AMR action plan and established a consensus roadmap for 2026-2027, integrating surveillance via the WHO's GLASS platform (Tedros WHO (@DrTedros), 20/06).

On the European regulatory front, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced on 2 July an intensification of its efforts on women's health, organizing a dedicated workshop on 28 and 29 September to better integrate this dimension into medicine development and evaluation (EMA — Médicaments, 02/07). The EMA also strengthened its cooperation on 15 July with the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) to provide early regulatory expertise to developers of innovative treatments (EMA — Médicaments, 15/07). Finally, at its June meeting, the EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommended the approval of six new medicines, including the influenza vaccine Aujemflu (EMA — Médicaments, 26/06).

To watch

  • Ebola outbreak in the DRC: The evolution of the epidemiological situation in Ituri province and the first results of the intensified response will need to be followed very closely.
  • Pandemic agreement: Talks will continue in September 2026; the precise format and timetable of this new negotiating session will be decisive for what follows.
  • Women's health: An EMA workshop on integrating women's needs into the medicines life cycle will be held on 28 and 29 September 2026.
  • GBS vaccine: Gavi's call for countries to prepare foreshadows discussions on strategies for introducing and financing this future vaccine.

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