WHO/Europe monthly newsletter, with public health news and events highlights from around the WHO European Region.
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Public health news from around the WHO European Region.
News highlights
June 2026
TOP STORIES
17 May 2026
Energy prices are volatile, supply chains are under strain, and the geopolitical shocks of recent years have exposed how fragile fossil fuel dependency makes societies; economically, politically and in terms of health. In the last decade the global temperature increase has accelerated significantly, and the pan-European region is the fastest-heating region on earth, with temperatures rising at twice the global average rate. Rapid temperature increases make it more likely that sudden “tipping points” in the climate system will be reached, whereby dramatic shifts in key earth systems occur. The window to prevent irreversible harm is narrowing. Read more
1 – 2 July 2026
Istanbul, Türkiye
WHO/Europe, in collaboration with the Government of Türkiye, is hosting the WHO Ministerial Conference on advancing health security through earthquake emergency management on 1–2 July 2026 in Istanbul, Türkiye.
15 May 2026
When the United Kingdom notified WHO on 2 May 2026 of a cluster of severe respiratory illness cases aboard a Netherlands-flagged cruise ship in the Atlantic, passengers from 23 countries were on board. Within days, cases of hantavirus (Andes strain) had been confirmed in the Netherlands, South Africa and Switzerland. The ship was still at sea.
What followed was one of the most complex multi-country outbreak responses in recent years –and a direct test of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), the legally binding global framework that obligates countries to prevent, prepare for, detect, report and respond to public health threats that cross borders.
Here’s how the response worked. Read more
WHO tailors emotional support for adolescents affected by the Türkiye earthquakes
20-05-2026
27 May 2026
For decades, tobacco control policies have helped to reduce smoking rates and save millions of lives. However, while countries strengthened regulations, the tobacco and nicotine industry adapted its strategies. “Today, we are on the brink of a new addiction revolution fuelled by the industry, and tobacco control policies are not up to speed,” says Dr Ghazi Zaatari, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the American University of Beirut. Read more
World No Tobacco Day 2026 awards: advancing accountability and protecting future generations
20-05-2026
New WHO tool supports countries to improve quality of child and youth mental health services
18-05-2026
Investing in midwives: for healthier children, families and more resilient communities
20-05-2026
Strengthening heat–health action plans to protect public health, with WHO guidance
02-06-2026
Building a One Health workforce to protect people from zoonotic disease and foodborne illness
05-06-2026
Heat Action Day: New WHO guidance helps authorities better protect people from the effects of heat
11-06-2026
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11 June 2026
As the Football World Cup kicks off across Canada, Mexico and the United States, many fans from the European Region will be travelling to attend. Let me reassure you: none of the host countries, nor the European Region, currently has Ebola cases. There is no reason to change your plans. Travel as normal, stay informed and enjoy the tournament.
Large events bring people together, and staying prepared helps keep everyone safe. Be aware of Ebola symptoms such as fever, aches and vomiting. If you’ve recently travelled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda and feel unwell within 3 weeks, seek medical care and inform your doctor about your travel. Routine health checks at borders or events are there to protect everyone. Read more
Statement - Europe lost 200 000 people to heat in 4 years yet nearly all of them were preventable
11-06-2026
COUNTRIES
01 June 2026
Armenia is taking decisive steps to close immunity gaps and prevent future outbreaks of vaccine‑preventable diseases. Although the country has maintained overall high immunization coverage for more than 2 decades, measles outbreaks in 2023 and 2024 revealed pockets of un- and under‑vaccination – often hidden within otherwise high national coverage. Read more
Protecting every child’s future: how Uzbekistan is strengthening childhood cancer care
01-06-2026
Online masterclass series on natural environments and health
09 – 24 June 2026 12:00–13:30 CEST | Online
The WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, Bonn, Germany, in cooperation with the WHO Collaborating Centre on Natural Environments and Health at the University of Exeter, United Kingdom, will hold a Bonn School masterclass series this month. Read more
Strengthening collaboration with health mediators to address immunization inequities in Bulgaria
16 – 17 June 2026 | Sofia, Bulgaria
