Today is first day of the World Health Organization’s 79th annual World Health Assembly, where delegates come together to set policies and priorities for global health.
Essentially, it’s a week-long exercise in saying, as loud and long possible, “We’re really important.”
And thank goodness it came along when it did, because…wow.
The hantavirus outbreak is tearing through the world at the unstoppably terrifying rate of five whole deaths every two months.
That’s about 30 deaths in a year or about 0.25% of the number of people who’ll died from falling down stairs.
In Africa, the Ebola virus went from zero to “emergency” in no time at all, and the African CDC had no choice but to go into panic mode.
A new strain of Ebola virus has been declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organisation.
More than 300 suspected cases have been identified – with at least 80 deaths reported. The outbreak is mostly confined to the Democratic Republic of the… pic.twitter.com/LIP0LG6MtD
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 18, 2026
These twin outbreaks, combined with a “growing anti-vaccine movement”, and funding cuts to research show the world is “not ready for the next pandemic”, according to Al Jazeera.
And – of course – climate change might mean more hantavirus outbreaks could happen!
And “Experts” are now saying the world is becoming more vulnerable to these infectious disease outbreaks.
Be afraid – be very afraid!
And, oh yes – with all this chaos out there…maybe this would be a good time to finally start ratifying that Pandemic Treaty, what do you think guys?
It’s sort of like last year, when the weeks leading up the 78th Assembly saw the world afflicted with fresh rushes of monkeypox cases, along with outbreaks of measles, cholera, anthrax and polio.
Which may or may not have helped them secure a 30% budget increase for 2026, not to mention hundreds of millions of dollars in extra funding pledges.
You have to say, if nothing else, “panic mode” is going to secure a lot of bucks.
Cash the WHO might “need”, given the United States officially pulled out of the organization back in January.
This plays into the multipolarity narrative.
On the one side, you’ll have the “sensible” WHO countries, working together and being nice and preventing diseases. Then, on the other, you’ll have the silly backwards MAGA US, being individual and selfish and backwards.
OR
On the one side, you’ll have the tyrannical collectivist WHO, enforcing conformity and stifling competition and stepping on freedoms. Then, on the other, you’ll have the rugged, lone-wolf US taking care of business.
Your side determines your view. Pick one. It won’t make much difference in the end.
The policies each employs will be almost identical.
Speaking of policies, more “experts” (different ones from before) are calling on the WHO to formally declare climate change a “public health emergency of international concern” (Pheic) and…
trigger coordinated international response that could help avoid millions dying
And check out this art installation/advertising campaign outside the Assembly…
Fifty (totally real and not at all potentially made up) lives lost “following harm linked to social media”. That’s terrible.
I guess age verification, smartphone bans and digital ID are all public health policies too.
What an interesting ten days we’re in for.
