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Progress made during the six years, since the declaration of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, in preparing for a future pandemic, and what remains to be done.

Through the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on One Health, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) reaffirm their shared commitment to advancing the implementation of the One Health approach.

ECDC, Africa CDC and the WHO Regional Office for Africa are conducting training in R programming and epidemic intelligence for surveillance experts from the National Public Health Agency of Sierra Leone.

Marking World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that millions of people living with NTDs continue to face profound and often unseen suffering due to discrimination, social stigma and untreated mental health conditions. Under the rallying theme "Unite. Act. Eliminate.", WHO and partners urge governments to integrate mental health care into NTD elimination efforts, ensuring that no one is left behind in pain or isolation.

Based on current information, the risk of infection for people from Europe travelling to or residing in the area is assessed as very low.

A Memorandum of understanding was signed in Stockholm on 29 January 2026 at the ECDC-WHO/Europe Annual Coordination Meeting.

Multi-country recalls of several infant nutrition products (different batches, products, and brands) are ongoing following the detection of cereulide, a toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus, which can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

With avian influenza A(H5N1) widely circulating in wild birds and poultry, and repeatedly detected in mammals, Dutch public health authorities report that antibodies indicating past exposure have been identified in milk from a dairy cow in the Netherlands.

Healthy food in schools can help children develop healthy dietary habits for life, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which released a new global guideline on evidence-based policies and interventions to create healthy school food environments.

After breast cancer, cervical cancer is the most common cancer among young women in Europe, and human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. During Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, ECDC highlights the good news that in combination with routine cervical screening, HPV vaccination can prevent cervical cancer.

ECDC launches new Accession Support Action for EU candidate countries to strengthen communicable disease capacities to implement EU acquis in surveillance, public health emergency preparedness, and advance One Health responses against antimicrobial resistance, 2026–2029.

WHO regrets the United States’ notification of withdrawal from WHO – a decision that makes both the United States and the world less safe. The notification of withdrawal raises issues that will be considered by the WHO Executive Board at its regular meeting starting on 2 February and by the World Health Assembly at its annual meeting in May 2026.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Member States this week advanced their negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit‑Sharing (PABS) system in a resumed session of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the WHO Pandemic Agreement. The PABS system is a core element of the agreement adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2025.

During the session held on 20–22 January 2026, Member States continued text‑based negotiations on outstanding issues in the draft annex and exchanged views aimed at narrowing differences and identifying areas of convergence.

“I am encouraged by the progress we have made in several areas, with signs of emerging consensus for some parts of the Pathogen Access and Benefit‑Sharing system,” said IGWG Bureau co‑chair Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes, of Brazil. “As we look ahead to the fifth session, the focus will be on the outstanding, complex issues. The resumed session has helped us gain a clearer picture of where we stand.”

Established by the WHA, the IGWG is tasked, as a priority, with drafting and negotiating the PABS system, which is intended to enable safe, transparent and accountable sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential and their genetic sequence information, alongside the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use, including vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

The resumed session was held following a request by Member States to extend the fourth meeting of the IGWG, which convened in December 2025.

“Member States have engaged in constructive discussions this week," said IGWG Bureau co-chair Mr Matthew Harpur, of the United Kingdom. "As we make progress towards the May deadline, I am encouraged by their willingness to work together and bridge differences to deliver an effective Pathogen Access and Benefit‑Sharing system."

Further meetings of the IGWG are scheduled in the coming months as Member States continue their negotiations.

“A strong Pathogen Access and Benefit‑Sharing system will be a cornerstone of a safer and more equitable world,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I thank countries for their commitment to multilateral solutions.”

The outcome of IGWG’s work will be submitted to the Seventy‑ninth World Health Assembly in May 2026 for its consideration.

 

As the EU initiative on Health Security reaches its conclusion, an online resource remains available for partners and stakeholders.