Ebola and Hantavirus: Is the World Ready for the Next Pandemic?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreaks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo a “public health emergency of international concern.” The announcement came as multiple countries are working to control a hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship voyage to South America.

Although the causes and treatments of the two viruses differ, news of the outbreaks has prompted world leaders and health agencies to question their implications for international travel and cross-border coordination. These questions have become particularly urgent after the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world was caught unprepared for the spread of the coronavirus.

However, with the WHO facing a financial crisis, is the world now more prepared for another pandemic—or even less so?

WHO Financial Crisis

Since 2025, the WHO has struggled financially due to a lack of funding. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned in May 2025 that global health would be at serious risk without sufficient support from donors, and that the WHO was facing “the most significant disruption to global health financing in history.”

The crisis worsened after the United States—which previously contributed nearly one-fifth of the WHO budget—formally withdrew from the organization in January. U.S. President Donald Trump made the decision, accusing the WHO of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.

As a result, the program budget for the WHO's 2026-2027 projects was set at over $6.2 billion, down 9% from the previous year. The WHO has had to adjust its financial plans, cut spending, and scale back several key programs, significantly weakening pandemic preparedness capacity.

According to Kaja Abbas, associate professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, “Funding cuts to the WHO have directly undermined disease surveillance efforts, thereby affecting readiness and preparedness to mount an effective response.”

The recent hantavirus outbreak highlighted the importance of international coordination: passengers and crew from more than 20 countries aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius required cross-border monitoring, contact tracing, medical evacuations, and public health guidance. Under the International Health Regulations, the WHO facilitates communication and response efforts between countries, deploys experts, supports testing, and organizes emergency responses.

However, these efforts are at risk due to the financial crisis, according to Dr. Krutika Kuppalli in Dallas, USA, an expert on emerging pathogens and pandemic response. She warned: “Undermining the WHO by cutting funding risks slowing disease detection, delaying response times, and reducing the ability to contain emerging threats before they spread globally.”

Obstacles from the Pandemic Treaty and Anti-Vaccine Sentiment

Beyond financial issues, the WHO is struggling to persuade world leaders to agree on a pandemic treaty for 2026, due to disputes over pathogen sharing. In May 2025, the WHO adopted the Pandemic Agreement, but UN member states have been unable to reach consensus on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) aspect due to disagreements over ensuring equitable access to vaccines and treatments after sharing pathogen data.

Tedros urged countries to continue working urgently, emphasizing that “the next pandemic is a matter of when, not if.”

The anti-vaccine movement is also growing. According to a July 2025 report in the BMJ, anti-vaccine sentiment among U.S. health agency leaders is on the rise. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. frequently promotes unsubstantiated claims about the dangers of vaccines and opposes COVID vaccines.

Kuppalli argued: “If large portions of the population reject vaccines or public health guidance, controlling transmission, protecting the healthcare system, and reducing deaths becomes much harder.” Equally worrying is the funding cut for vaccine research and development. Last August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services canceled approximately $500 million in contracts and grants for mRNA vaccine development, affecting 22 research initiatives and clinical trials.

Economic Pressure and Significant Progress

The U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran has driven oil and gas prices sharply higher, disrupting supply chains and international tourism, leading to higher medicine costs. In the UK, pharmacies increased prices for over-the-counter drugs by 20 to 30%; in India, the price of common painkillers rose by up to 96%.

“War and economic pressures also strain supply chains, divert government resources, displace populations, and weaken already fragile health systems. All of this increases the risk of uncontrolled disease spread,” Kuppalli warned.

Nevertheless, there has been significant progress since COVID-19. In 2022, the WHO launched a fund with the World Bank, which as of February this year had disbursed over $1.2 billion in grants, helping mobilize an additional $11 billion for 67 projects in 98 countries to expand surveillance, laboratory networks, workforce training, and multisectoral coordination.

In 2023, the WHO established the Global Health Emergency Corps to support countries facing public health emergencies by assessing emergency workforce capacity, deploying rapid support, and creating a network of emergency leaders from multiple countries.

Kuppalli observed: “One of the clearest lessons from recent outbreaks is that the global scientific and public health community can collaborate remarkably quickly in the face of an urgent threat. The development of highly effective COVID-19 vaccines in under a year was a historic scientific achievement.”

She stressed: “Advances in vaccine platforms, particularly mRNA technology, mean we now have the ability to design and begin producing candidate vaccines much faster than before. While challenges remain, the scientific progress of the past few years has undoubtedly improved our ability to detect emerging threats and develop medical countermeasures faster than ever.”