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Wildfires up 57% across Europe in four years

Statement by WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge MAP 1 (above) MAP 2 (above) Copenhagen, 24 July 2026 **BOTH MAPS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD AT THE END OF THIS MESSAGE** New data reveals a sharp rise in wildfires across parts of the WHO European Region between January and July this year. Portugal and Spain have seen reported wildfires increase by more than 100% compared with the same period in 2025 (MAP 1).  Last year, wildfires burnt through 2.2 million hectares of the Region, up from 1.4 million hectares in 2022 – a 57% increase in just

West Nile virus

As cases rise across parts of Europe here’s what you need to knowCopenhagen, 24 July 2026 The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe is urging countries to strengthen mosquito surveillance and public knowledge of protective measures as West Nile virus cases climb in parts of the continent, with the transmission season just getting under way. For most people the risk remains low, but anyone living in or travelling to an affected area should take basic steps to avoid mosquito bites and know the signs of severe illness in case they or someone close to them falls ill.

Public health advice ahead of WorldPride 2026 in Amsterdam

Joint health advice issued by WHO Regional Office for Europe, the European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control, and the Dutch National Institue for Public Health and the EnvironmentAmsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm - 21 July 2026 **PDF ATTACHED AT THE END OF THIS MESSAGE** As WorldPride 2026 brings an estimated one million visitors to Amsterdam from 25 July to 8 August, WHO/Europe, the Dutch national health institute RIVM, and ECDC have issued joint public health advice covering everything attendees need to know before and during the event. The guidance spans vaccination checks,

Preparing for a warming world

As five European countries record nearly 10,000 heat-related deaths, WHO/Europe says preparedness must be built into every health system year-roundCopenhagen, 16 July 2026 The WHO European Region is the fastest-warming region on earth, with temperatures rising at around twice the global average rate. Extreme heat is a growing public health threat and health security challenge that is expected to hit harder each year. This summer's toll is still being counted but, already, data from just five countries shows nearly 10,000 excess deaths due to heat. “Nearly 10,000 excess deaths, and the

Govern AI in health before the gaps become irreversible

Statement by WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. KlugeLisbon, 15 July 2026 Good day to you all.   Let me begin by thanking the Minister of Health of Portugal – Ms Ana Paula Martins – for hosting us here in Lisbon.   Portugal's commitment to this agenda - as a country that has consistently invested in health innovation is exactly the kind of leadership that makes this work possible. Obrigado, ministra.   Now, let me start with a number: 8 percent.   That’s the share of countries in the WHO European Region that have a health-specific AI strategy. Just eight

WHO brings 37 countries together in Lisbon to get AI governance right and make it work for every patient

Lisbon, 15 July 2026A global high-level conference on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health , co-hosted by WHO/Europe and the Government of Portugal, opens today bringing together Ministers and senior government representatives from 37 countries across all six WHO regions, alongside leaders from the European Commission, World Bank, Wellcome Trust, Aga Khan University and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  The meeting comes as WHO/Europe's own assessment - the

Extreme heat: More deadly weeks may still lie ahead for the European Region

Statement by WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. KlugeCopenhagen, 7 July 2026 The next heatwave is already building over the Atlantic. Portugal and southern Spain are forecast to reach 43C this week. France and the Benelux are bracing for another heat surge. Parts of Central Asia are baking under 40C heat.   Because of this urgent context, yesterday I convened an emergency call on extreme heat, which brought together representatives from 41 WHO/Europe Member States, as well as the European Commission and several civil society groups. With more than 130 participants, it

Preparing for the next big one: protecting health in earthquakes

Statement by WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Heni P. KlugeIstanbul, 2 July 2026  Thank you, Minister Memişoğlu, for hosting us, and for the leadership Türkiye has shown. Before I begin, our thoughts are with the people of Venezuela. Just days ago, two powerful earthquakes there took many lives and damaged the health facilities that families depended on. It is a painful reminder of why we are gathered here today. Earthquakes come without warning. And too often, it’s not the earthquake that takes lives, but the buildings that fall in its wake. I was here in the days after

Preparing for the next big one

Health ministers gather in Istanbul where scientists predict a major earthquake in the coming decadesISTANBUL, 1 July 2026 High-level participants will agree to protect health systems before the next major quake three years after the devastating 2023 Türkiye–Syria earthquakes Earthquakes are the deadliest of all natural hazards, causing more than half of all deaths from natural-hazard disasters worldwide between 2000 and 2023. Across the WHO European Region, millions of people live in homes and are treated in health facilities that would not survive a major earthquake. That’s why

MEDIA ADVISORY

Protecting health in earthquakesGovernment of Türkiye and WHO Regional Office for Europe joint press conference (hybrid) WHEN: Thursday, 2 July 2026, 1015–1045 TRT / 0915-0945 CEST / 0815-0845 BST WHERE: Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center, Merkez, Silahşör Cd. No:42, 34381 Şişli, İstanbul, Türkiye WHY: Earthquakes are the deadliest natural hazard on Earth, and the WHO European Region spans two of the world's major earthquake belts. As health ministers and senior officials from across the Region and beyond conclude a two-day conference in Istanbul, WHO/Europe and the

Get prepared: current Europe heatwaves are a dress rehearsal

Statement by WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge Copenhagen, 30 June 2026 Across Europe right now, people are struggling to sleep. Emergency rooms are filling up. Ambulance services are breaking records. In France, emergency medical calls have risen by up to 50% in some cities. In London, last week saw the highest number of life-threatening emergency calls the ambulance service has ever recorded in a single day. Spain's mortality monitoring system has already estimated more than 300 heat-associated excess deaths in just a few days. Italy reported five

Get prepared: current Europe heatwaves are a dress rehearsal

Copenhagen, 30 June 2026 Across Europe right now, people are struggling to sleep. Emergency rooms are filling up. Ambulance services are breaking records. In France, emergency medical calls have risen by up to 50% in some cities. In London, last week saw the highest number of life-threatening emergency calls the ambulance service has ever recorded in a single day. Spain's mortality monitoring system has already estimated more than 300 heat-associated excess deaths in just a few days. Italy reported five deaths in 24 hours. Europe is warming at more than twice the global average.

Sweden and WHO launch new long-term initiative to transform Ukraine’s health system

Copenhagen & Stockholm, 26 June 2026WHO and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) launch a new multi-year cooperation project to support the long-term recovery and transformation of Ukraine’s health system. The new project, “Ukraine’s Health System Transformation Initiative: Strengthening Health Governance, Health Financing and Service Delivery for Long-Term Recovery”, launch at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdansk, Poland and will run from June 2026 to 2029. Sweden will contribute approximately US$ 26 million (SEK 240 million) to support this project.

No country should have to build its digital health future alone – now none of them will

WHO/Europe and Healthcare Denmark sign agreement to advance digital health, data and AI in the WHO European Region WHO/Europe Regional Director Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge (left) and Chair of Healthcare Denmark, Mr Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen Copenhagen, 15 June 2026 WHO/Europe and Healthcare Denmark have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to accelerate cooperation on digital health, health data, artificial intelligence (AI) and health system innovation in the 53 countries of the WHO European Region. A partnership built on shared priorities Under the agreement, WHO/

Europe lost 200,000 people to heat in 4 years yet nearly all of them were preventable

Statement by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, at the launch of WHO's new guidance to protect lives from extreme heatBerlin, 11 June 2026  The impacts of climate change are a clear and present danger, and its most immediate and lethal manifestation is extreme heat. Heatwaves are no longer freak weather anomalies. They are now a recurring crisis inflicting suffering, claiming lives and fracturing our health systems and infrastructure. Over just the past 4 years, heat has claimed more than 200 000 lives across the EU and its associated countries. The tragedy is 2-

Ebola risk remains low ahead of the Football World Cup

Statement by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for EuropeCopenhagen, 11 June 2026 As the Football World Cup kicks off across Canada, Mexico and the United States, many fans from Europe 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

Media advisory

REMINDER: Launch of new WHO guidance on heat–health action plans to protect our communities and save lives from extreme heathttps://www.who.int/europe/news-room/events/item/2026/06/11/default-calendar/launch-of-new-who-heat-health-action-plans-guidance  · What: Hybrid press conference launch of the new WHO Heat–Health Action Plans Guidance · When: Thursday, 11 June 2026, 08:00–09:00 CEST (Berlin time) · Where: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), Stresemannstraße 128-130, 10117 Berlin, and online. ·

Media advisory

Launch of new WHO guidance on heat–health action plans to protect our communities and save lives from extreme heathttps://www.who.int/europe/news-room/events/item/2026/06/11/default-calendar/launch-of-new-who-heat-health-action-plans-guidance  · What: Hybrid press conference launch of the new WHO Heat–Health Action Plans Guidance · When: Thursday, 11 June 2026, 08:00–09:00 CEST (Berlin time) · Where: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), Stresemannstraße 128-130, 10117 Berlin, and online. · Registration:

EU and WHO scale up action to respond to the Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda

The European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) reinforce their cooperation to support national authorities in responding to the ongoing Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The aim is to rapidly contain transmission, protect communities and strengthen preparedness in the region, ultimately to save lives. PHOTO: EU Commissioner Lahbib and the WHO Regional Directors of Africa and Europe, Dr Janabi and Dr Kluge, December 2025 Brazzaville, Brussels & Copenhagen, 29 May 2026 Through the European Union’s support, WHO is scaling up

MEDIA TOOLKIT

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2026Ahead of WNTD 2026 on the 31st of May, WHO/Europe is pleased to share a new media toolkit for this year’s campaign theme — “Unmasking the appeal: countering nicotine and tobacco addiction”  It focuses on how the industry tries to reboot the market of addiction attracting children and adolescents with novel products and highlights the urgent need for stronger policy action across the WHO European Region. FACT: The WHO European Region is the global leader in tobacco use · 40% of all female smokers in the world live in the WHO European Region; · 4

Belgian expertise at the heart of a global wake-up call on climate and health

Three Belgians helped shape a landmark report calling on WHO and governments to treat climate change as the health emergency it already isBrussels, 21 May 2026 When the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health  launched its Call to Action at the World Health Assembly in Geneva this week, three Belgians were at the centre of it. Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, convened the independent Commission. Professors Hans Bruyninckx and Sandrine Dixson-Declève sat among its 13 Commissioners,

Climate change is a health crisis – and fixing it is a health opportunity

Independent Commission of former heads of government, international bodies, ministers and civil society leaders delivers 17 recommendations for what WHO and countries should do next FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEGeneva, Switzerland, 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

How a little-known virus on a cruise ship put the world's health security framework to the test

Copenhagen, 15 May 2026HI-RES PHOTOS FROM TENERIFE AVAILABLE (links at the end) Photo credit: WHO/Hedinn Halldorsson When the United Kingdom notified WHO on 2 May 2026 of a cluster of severe respiratory illness aboard a Dutch-flagged cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, passengers from 23 countries were on board. Within days, cases of hantavirus (Andes strain) had been confirmed in South Africa, Switzerland and the Netherlands. 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

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