• The WHO Health Emergencies Programme aims to enhance member states' capability to manage health emergencies and coordinate international responses during crises.

• In May 2024, the programme reported three disease outbreak news (DON) events, including a global dengue outbreak with over 7.6 million cases and more than 3,000 deaths, particularly severe in the Americas, exceeding last year's annual total cases of 4.6 million. 

• Effective control requires robust real-time surveillance to detect and manage cases, co-infections, and misdiagnoses.

• Additionally, an outbreak of hepatitis E in Chad, linked to inadequate sanitation among displaced populations, saw 2092 suspected cases and seven deaths. 

• Controlling the outbreak involves WHO and multiple partners, emphasizing safe water and hygiene.

• The report also covered three MERS-CoV cases in Saudi Arabia, stressing the importance of healthcare worker safety and ongoing vigilance.

• The global cholera situation remains dire, with nearly 195,000 cases reported across 24 countries and the vaccine supply struggling to meet demand.

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