When the UK 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. What followed was one of the most complex multi-country outbreak responses in recent years. Here’s how the response worked.

A global look at how rising human vulnerability is changing the way we understand, measure, and manage risk – including pandemic preparedness and the fragility of human systems.

On 17 May, the World Health Organization declared the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. International SOS health experts are monitoring the situation closely since the beginning of the outbreak.

Exercise Pegasus, held between September and November 2025, was the largest simulation of a pandemic in UK history, led by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). It tested national and local responses to a novel enterovirus involving every government department, the devolved governments, representation from arms-length bodies, local resilience fora, and the engagement of businesses, academics, and external stakeholders. A fourth phase (recovery) is planned to be exercised in 2026. Findings will be published later in 2026.