Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates.

The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals (such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates) and then spreads in the human population through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids.

Supportive care - rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids - and treatment of specific symptoms improves survival. A range of potential treatments including blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies are currently being evaluated. 

In the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak in DRC, the first-ever multi-drug randomized control trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of drugs used in the treatment of Ebola patients under an ethical framework developed in consultation with experts in the field and the DRC.

Cystic echinococcosis is characterized by an asymptomatic incubation period that can last many years until the parasite cysts evolve and trigger clinical signs, depending on the location and size of the cysts and the pressure exerted on the surrounding tissues. In cystic echinococcosis, the larval stages of the parasite develop as one or more cysts mainly in the liver and lungs, and less frequently in the bones, kidneys, spleen, muscles, central nervous system and eyes. Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting commonly occur when cysts invade the liver.

Both cystic echinococcosis and alveolar echinococcosis can be expensive and complicated to treat, sometimes requiring extensive surgery and/or prolonged drug therapy. The treatment used should be decided based on results from ultrasound images of the cyst. Treatments can include percutaneous treatment of the hydatid cysts with the PAIR (Puncture, Aspiration, Injection, Re-aspiration) technique, surgery, anti-infective drug treatments or simply watching and waiting.  

Echinococcosis is a parasitic disease that occurs in two main forms in humans: cystic echinococcosis (also known as hydatidosis) and alveolar echinococcosis, caused by the tapeworms Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis, respectively.

Dogs, foxes and other carnivores harbour the adult worms in their intestine and evacuate the parasite eggs in their faeces. If the eggs are ingested by humans, they develop into larvae in several organs, mainly the liver and lungs.

In May 2016, the World Health Assembly adopted a Global strategy and action plan on ageing and health that provides guidance for coordinated action in countries on elder abuse that aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals.

In line with the Global strategy WHO and partners collaborate to prevent elder abuse through initiatives that help to identify, quantify, and respond to the problem, including:

The abuse of older adults occurs all too frequently but remains a largely hidden problem. Elder abuse is an intentional act, or failure to act, by a caregiver or another person in a relationship involving an expectation of trust that causes harm to an adult 60 years and older. It is predicted to increase as many countries are experiencing rapidly ageing populations. Elder abuse can lead to serious physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences, increased risk of nursing home placement, use of emergency services, hospitalization and death.

As part of its charter to protect public health and in response to public concern over health effects of EMF exposure, the WHO established the International EMF Project in 1996 to assess the scientific evidence of possible health effects of EMF in the frequency range from 0 to 300 GHz. The EMF Project encourages focused research to fill important gaps in knowledge and to facilitate the development of internationally acceptable standards limiting EMF exposure.

Key objectives of the Project are to:

All around the world, acutely ill and injured people seek care every day.  Frontline providers manage children and adults with medical, surgical and obstetric emergencies, including injuries and infections, heart attacks and strokes, asthma and acute complications of pregnancy.  Prioritising an integrated approach to early recognition and resuscitation reduces the impact of all of these conditions.

Our activities to advance the global agenda for building healthier environments for healthier populations include:

13.7 of deaths per year in 2016, amounting to 24% of the global deaths, are due to modifiable environmental risks. This means that almost 1 in 4 of total global deaths are linked to environment conditions. 

Healthier environments could prevent almost one quarter of the global burden of disease. The COVID-19 pandemic is a further reminder of the delicate relationship between people and our planet.

Clean air, stable climate, adequate water, sanitation and hygiene, safe use of chemicals, protection from radiation, healthy and safe workplaces, sound agricultural practices, health-supportive cities and built environments, and a preserved nature are all prerequisites for good health

Epilepsy is the most common chronic brain disease and affects people of all ages. More than 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy; nearly 80% of them live in low- and middle-income countries.

Ethical questions related to health, health care, and public health cover topics as diverse as moral issues around reproduction, state obligations in the provision of health care services, and appropriate measures to control infectious disease. Scholars and health care professionals have debated ethical questions related to health and health care since the earliest days of medicine.

Immunization raises a host of challenging ethical questions that researchers, governments, funders, pharmaceutical companies, and communities must confront.
TB: Ethical issues include questions about the equitable distribution of resources, protection of vulnerable groups, respect for patient choice of treatment options and solidarity between communities during outbreaks.
Zika has raised many specific ethical issues, in particular regarding pregnancy. At the same time, it has highlighted ethical issues that arise in vector-borne diseases more generally.