According to Baume-Schneider WHO indispensable for hantavirus and Ebola
Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider has praised the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the international response to the hantavirus and Ebola. At the start of the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Monday, she described the WHO as "irreplaceable".
18.05.2026, 10:27
18.05.2026, 14:49
SDA
The organization has continued to fulfil its mission despite massive cost-cutting measures, said Baume-Schneider. The WHO recently had to reduce its budget by almost one billion dollars and cut around 1,300 jobs. The organization has recently been criticized by the USA and Argentina, among others, which have reportedly withdrawn from the WHO.
The member states have also not yet been able to agree on the annex to the pandemic agreement adopted in 2025. This is intended to regulate the exchange of information on pathogens and access to countermeasures. According to Baume-Schneider, Switzerland is calling for a "realistic and functional system with a clear mandate".
