# WHO

> United Nations specialised agency responsible for global public health. Coordinates the international response to outbreaks via the International Health Regulations.

Canonical source: https://hantatracker.fr/en/glossary/who/

**Aliases**: World Health Organization, World Health Organisation, WHO

The **World Health Organization** (WHO) is the United Nations specialised agency responsible for global public health. It coordinates the international response to outbreaks, including the MV Hondius hantavirus event. WHO confirmed on 7 May 2026 the possibility of person-to-person transmission and published the official risk assessment for the general population.

## Overview

### Mission and organisation

WHO, founded in **1948**, is headquartered in Geneva (Switzerland). It has **194 member states** and relies on 6 regional offices (Africa, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South-East Asia, Western Pacific) and about 150 country offices. Its mission includes: technical standards, global epidemiological surveillance, coordination of responses to health emergencies, and support for member states' health systems.

### Governance

WHO is led by a **Director-General**, elected for a five-year mandate renewable once, and by the **World Health Assembly** where the health ministers of the 194 member states sit. Strategic decisions are made at the annual Assembly. Operational decisions on health emergencies fall to the Director-General, in liaison with an advisory emergency committee convened under the International Health Regulations.

## The International Health Regulations (IHR 2005)

### Legal framework

The **IHR 2005** is an international treaty legally binding on its 196 parties (194 member states + the Holy See + Liechtenstein). It obliges states to: (1) strengthen their national capacities for detection, assessment and notification; (2) **notify WHO** within 24 hours of any event that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern; (3) cooperate with WHO and other states for managing cross-border risks.

### Public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)

The IHR allows the declaration of a **PHEIC** — an exceptional situation constituting a risk to the public health of other states through international spread, and requiring a coordinated international response. PHEICs historically declared include H1N1 influenza (2009), Ebola (2014, 2019), Zika (2016), COVID-19 (2020-2023), Mpox (2022, 2024). The MV Hondius event was **not** declared a PHEIC, as the risk to the general population was assessed as low.

## Role in the MV Hondius event

### Timeline

- **3 May 2026**: identification of Andes virus by PCR. WHO is notified by the Dutch authorities (flag of the vessel) and Spanish authorities (planned port of arrival).
- **5 May 2026**: Cape Verde refuses berthing. WHO coordinates with Spanish authorities the berthing authorisation at Tenerife (Granadilla de Abona).
- **7 May 2026**: WHO publishes its official assessment ("risk for the general population: low"), confirms the possibility of person-to-person transmission and recalls precautionary recommendations.
- **10 May 2026**: disembarkation at Granadilla de Abona port (Tenerife) at 06:24 local time, under WHO/ECDC coordination. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus travels on site and publishes a message to the population of Tenerife on 14 May.

### Disease Outbreak News (DON 2026)

WHO publishes an official notification for this event in its **Disease Outbreak News** mechanism. The DON is consulted by health authorities in all member states and serves as a reference for national agencies (Santé publique France, RKI in Germany, RIVM in the Netherlands, etc.). It is updated at each significant development.

## Reference sources for HantaTracker

WHO is the **primary source cited** on HantaTracker for all information related to the MV Hondius event: case tally, risk assessment, contact surveillance recommendations. The figures published on the home page and in the glossary are systematically referenced to a WHO release or an equivalent publication from a reference partner (ECDC, CDC, NEJM).