https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/325331/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Vincent Caradec Vincent Caradec Last month, Japan’s internal affairs ministry released its yearly data ahead of Respect for the Aged Day. People aged 65 and over now make up a record 29.6 per cent of the population. But the figure I keep coming back to was this: 9.43 million Japanese workers were 65 or older last year, about 13.8 per cent of everyone with a job. Members of Japan’s older population are not simply retired. A large part are still at work and some of those people are the ones businesses depend on. The Asia-Pacific... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370071/dont-leave-asias-ageing-debate-until-its-too-late?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370071/dont-leave-asias-ageing-debate-until-its-too-late?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Simpson Cheung Simpson Cheung Hong Kong will step up health surveillance measures for arrivals after a laboratory worker at an anti-plague research institute in Russia died from pneumonia, but authorities have stressed the risk to residents remains low. According to World Health Organization (WHO) information provided by Russian authorities, there was no evidence of ongoing transmission, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Monday. Russian authorities previously stated ‌that the worker at the Irkutsk Antiplague... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3370621/hong-kong-steps-russia-arrival-checks-after-siberian-lab-workers-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3370621/hong-kong-steps-russia-arrival-checks-after-siberian-lab-workers-death?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 11:26:53 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Hong Kong has recorded 21 cases of mpox since August, accounting for 70 per cent of this year’s total, prompting health authorities to urge people who engage in high-risk sexual contact to take protective measures and get vaccinated to reduce their risk of infection. The latest case, involving a 29-year-old man, brought the total number recorded in Hong Kong this year to 30, comprising 23 local cases and seven imported ones, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Saturday. Twenty-one... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3370441/hong-kong-records-21-mpox-cases-august-high-risk-groups-urged-get-jabs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3370441/hong-kong-records-21-mpox-cases-august-high-risk-groups-urged-get-jabs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:03:31 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s funding of global development institutions has grown more than tenfold since 2010, according to a new report that also says the pace of growth has been slowing recently as financing becomes more selective. China’s annual contributions to multilateral development entities rose from just under US$260 million in 2010 to over US$3 billion in 2024, according to a report published by the Washington-based Centre for Global Development think tank on Thursday. “China appears to be more involved... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3370321/chinas-funding-global-development-bodies-grows-over-tenfold-now-more-selective?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3370321/chinas-funding-global-development-bodies-grows-over-tenfold-now-more-selective?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:00:16 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China has nominated health official Song Li to run for director general of the World Health Organization, the foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday. If elected, Song would be the first person from mainland China to head the United Nations health agency. China previously backed Margaret Chan, a Hong Kong-born doctor and former director of health of Hong Kong, who served as WHO director general from 2007 to 2017. Song’s nomination comes as the WHO faces a major funding shake-up following the US... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370214/china-nominates-song-li-who-chief-agency-faces-funding-shake-us-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370214/china-nominates-song-li-who-chief-agency-faces-funding-shake-us-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 11:51:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Kenya reported its first-ever Ebola death, the health minister said on Tuesday, after a Kenyan man who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo died after returning to the country. The DR Congo declared its 17th Ebola outbreak in May. The deadly disease has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years. Kenya has never previously reported a case. Neighbouring Uganda recorded 20 – almost all people who had travelled from the DR Congo – and two deaths, before being... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3369923/kenya-reports-first-ebola-case-imported-dr-congo-after-patient-dies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3369923/kenya-reports-first-ebola-case-imported-dr-congo-after-patient-dies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:39:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russia on Monday sought to play down reports that a laboratory technician had died of plague, even as US President Donald Trump said Washington was closely monitoring the situation and offered US help. Reports on Friday that pneumonic plague had killed a 28-year-old woman named Darya Shipilova, who had been working for the anti-plague institute in Siberia’s Irkutsk region, sparked alarm. “We’re looking at it very strongly, we just heard about it,” Trump told reporters at the White House when... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3369836/after-plague-death-reports-siberia-lab-russia-says-situation-under-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3369836/after-plague-death-reports-siberia-lab-russia-says-situation-under-control?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 17:14:30 +0000 Elizabeth Cheung Elizabeth Cheung Hong Kong has cut its cancer-related death rate by more than 40 per cent over the past three decades, the health minister has said, as the chief executive renewed his pledge to make the city a hub for medical innovation. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau outlined the city’s progress in controlling the disease at the World Cancer Congress, which is being held in Hong Kong for the first time. Citing figures from 1993 to 2023, Lo said Hong Kong’s age-standardised cancer mortality rate had fallen by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3368624/hong-kong-reports-more-40-drop-cancer-related-death-rate-over-30-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3368624/hong-kong-reports-more-40-drop-cancer-related-death-rate-over-30-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 07:34:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is moving faster than any previous epidemic of the disease and risks spreading to more countries, the head of the World Health Organization has warned. “We must be frank: the epidemic is far from being under control,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told an emergency meeting on the outbreak on Tuesday. “It had a big head start, and we are still playing catch-up.” His comment came after the DR Congo on Monday said the outbreak... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3364476/who-chief-warns-dr-congo-ebola-outbreak-far-being-under-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3364476/who-chief-warns-dr-congo-ebola-outbreak-far-being-under-control?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:45:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The World Health Organization warned on Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s bid to overhaul child vaccination in the United States went against “decades of evidence”. Trump signed an order on Monday pushing for a rethink of school vaccine mandates and repeating calls for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to be separated into three separate shots. His Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jnr founded an anti-vaccine group and has long promoted a disproved link between the MMR shot... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/science-technology/article/3363810/who-chief-warns-trumps-vaccine-policy-overhaul-against-decades-evidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/science-technology/article/3363810/who-chief-warns-trumps-vaccine-policy-overhaul-against-decades-evidence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:10:01 +0000 Donald Low Donald Low In recent years, Thailand’s capital has discovered a surprising new attraction to add to its temples, shopping malls and street food: urban greenery. Unlike the others, which took decades to develop, Bangkok’s green credentials are a more recent phenomenon, emerging only during the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite their novelty, the city’s greening efforts are already bearing fruit. Visitors returning to Bangkok after the pandemic are often surprised by how green and walkable the city has become. It... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3363284/bangkok-branches-out-secret-thai-capitals-green-revival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3363284/bangkok-branches-out-secret-thai-capitals-green-revival?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Aug 2026 04:00:16 +0000 Han Li Han Li Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination at a contentious US Senate hearing on Wednesday, refusing to answer questions about American funding for coronavirus research in China and allegations that he misled Congress about the origins of Covid-19. The extraordinary appearance reopened one of Washington’s most politically divisive disputes: whether the pandemic began through natural transmission from animals or a laboratory-related incident in Wuhan, and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3362306/fauci-refuses-answer-questions-heated-senate-hearing-covid-19-origins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3362306/fauci-refuses-answer-questions-heated-senate-hearing-covid-19-origins?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:08:40 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hongkonger Ms Lam has long known she is carrying a ticking time bomb after her mother and grandmother died of liver cancer. Her mother was completely asymptomatic until a late-stage diagnosis left no option for surgery. “I knew I carried the hepatitis B virus when I was in my twenties and had since then undergone regular health check-ups to manage the bomb,” the woman in her fifties recalled. Her regular checks were only disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic. When she returned for a check-up in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3362036/how-early-screening-saved-hong-kong-woman-her-familys-liver-cancer-fate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3362036/how-early-screening-saved-hong-kong-woman-her-familys-liver-cancer-fate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jul 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan When Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), met Jiang Feng, head of China’s mission to the African Union, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in mid-July, the message was practical. They signed a handover certificate that brought Beijing’s direct emergency support for the Ebola response to US$4.5 million. A five-member Chinese medical team was already working in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital of Kinshasa. Kaseya described the contribution as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3361447/rapid-ebola-aid-china-shows-itself-reliable-partner-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3361447/rapid-ebola-aid-china-shows-itself-reliable-partner-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jul 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Asia’s only dedicated exorcism centre – designed to train not only Philippine priests but clergy from across the region – sits just off a busy thoroughfare in Metro Manila. Inside, neatly made-up rooms for visiting priests line warmly lit halls that lead to a chapel where the 400-year-old ritual takes place. Holy relics employed in the proceedings line one wall, another features a one-way mirror that allows family members and novice exorcists to observe. The Saint Michael Centre for Spiritual... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3361078/philippine-school-exorcists-draws-priests-asia-cases-pile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3361078/philippine-school-exorcists-draws-priests-asia-cases-pile?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jul 2026 03:26:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters A United ⁠States citizen infected with the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was admitted to Frankfurt University Hospital early on Monday, officials said. The ‌patient arrived at the hospital’s special isolation unit at around 3am local time after contracting the Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus in Congo, the hospital said. The US CDC said ⁠on Friday that a US citizen working for a humanitarian ‌organisation in Congo had tested positive for the Bundibugyo Ebola... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3360375/german-hospital-treats-us-ebola-patient-infected-dr-congo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3360375/german-hospital-treats-us-ebola-patient-infected-dr-congo?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:07:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters European countries reported more than 10,000 excess deaths during ⁠the record-breaking heatwave that engulfed ⁠the west of the continent in ⁠late June, official data showed. The vast majority – more than 9,000 – were among people aged 65 and above, according to data published by EuroMOMO, a network backed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization. Extreme heat can kill by ‌causing heatstroke, or aggravating cardiovascular and respiratory... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3360335/europe-recorded-10000-excess-deaths-late-june-heatwave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3360335/europe-recorded-10000-excess-deaths-late-june-heatwave?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jul 2026 05:59:02 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Youth suicide cases confirmed by Hong Kong Coroner’s Court reached a decade-high last year, despite a 10 per cent overall decline across the population to 1,019. According to the annual coroners’ report published last month, suicide cases confirmed by the court declined across almost all age groups, except for those aged between 10 and 19. Last year, 46 adolescents aged 10 to 19 were reported to have taken their own lives, up from 34 cases in the previous year and reaching a decade high. Most of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3360213/youth-suicides-hong-kong-hit-10-year-high-court-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3360213/youth-suicides-hong-kong-hit-10-year-high-court-report?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jul 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo is the “fastest growing” ever, African health authorities said on Thursday, as the World Health Organization said the disease had killed 600 people. Updated numbers issued by the UN health agency showed there have been 1,759 confirmed cases in DR Congo since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, including 600 confirmed deaths. “This is the fastest growing Ebola outbreak ever, not only among the previous Bundibugyo outbreaks, but all the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3360036/ebola-outbreak-fastest-growing-ever-600-die-dr-congo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3360036/ebola-outbreak-fastest-growing-ever-600-die-dr-congo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:37:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Residents at the epicentre of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) Ebola outbreak are pinning their hopes on experimental treatments after researchers began a highly anticipated study in early July of two possible Ebola treatments in hopes of fighting the still-growing outbreak. At the Ebola treatment centre inside Bunia’s Evangelical Medical Centre, in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, the launch of the research was marked by urgency rather than ceremony on Thursday. As ambulances continued... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3359470/ebola-treatment-trial-begins-congo-citizens-mourn-hundreds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3359470/ebola-treatment-trial-begins-congo-citizens-mourn-hundreds?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jul 2026 08:52:57 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The World Health Organization on Thursday declared an end to the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship which sparked international alarm, after the last person left quarantine. There were 12 confirmed and one probable case stemming from the MV Hondius, including three deaths. But while the outbreak is now over, for scientists and experts, the work is only in its early stages, as they try to learn lessons from the episode that triggered a global health alert. “Today, the final contact of a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/article/3359220/who-declares-cruise-ship-linked-hantavirus-outbreak-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/article/3359220/who-declares-cruise-ship-linked-hantavirus-outbreak-over?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:34:20 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal has culled more than 600,000 birds and destroyed around 1 million eggs as an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu spreads across the Kathmandu Valley, shutting the capital’s only zoo and raising fears among scientists over the virus’ potential to mutate into a form transmissible between humans. The outbreak began in eastern Nepal in March before reaching the densely populated valley around mid-June – a development that health experts say raises the risk of human exposure. More than 60 poultry farms... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3358835/nepals-bird-flu-outbreak-spreads-breeding-pandemic-mutation-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3358835/nepals-bird-flu-outbreak-spreads-breeding-pandemic-mutation-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jun 2026 05:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A positive case of Ebola virus has been identified in France in a doctor travelling back from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the French Ministry of Health said Wednesday. The individual, who has not been identified, returned from a humanitarian mission in one of the virus transmission zones in the DR Congo and was taken into care at a specialised facility in France. The person is in stable condition, the ministry said. The Congolese health ministry said on Wednesday there are 1,094 confirmed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3358246/france-confirms-ebola-virus-doctor-who-worked-congo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3358246/france-confirms-ebola-virus-doctor-who-worked-congo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:32:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters At least 30 people have died since the start of May in one camp for displaced civilians in northeastern Congo, a death rate that camp officials said was unprecedented, with some confirmed to have died from Ebola in a sign the disease could be spreading fast there. It was not possible to confirm the causes of all the deaths because patients or their relatives in Kigonze camp in Bunia – the epicentre of the Ebola ‌outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo – had until Thursday refused testing, a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3357779/least-30-deaths-dr-congo-camp-show-ebola-could-be-spreading-fast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3357779/least-30-deaths-dr-congo-camp-show-ebola-could-be-spreading-fast?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jun 2026 10:21:52 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Alex Doran, a 28-year-old corporate strategist, is cheering for the US national team and was pleasantly surprised by the size of its initial win against Paraguay last week, while acknowledging that his team is unlikely to go all the way. While he does not expect to attend a match in person involving tickets costing thousands of US dollars, he has been watching avidly online and hopes to see some matches at fan zones set up around Washington. “I’m a little uncomfortable with large crowds because... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3357624/world-cup-puts-ebola-outbreak-and-pandemic-lessons-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3357624/world-cup-puts-ebola-outbreak-and-pandemic-lessons-test?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jun 2026 21:30:59 +0000 Emma Ma Emma Ma A recent incident in Shenzhen that went viral has put China’s widespread smoking habit under renewed scrutiny, reviving a long-running debate over whether Beijing should raise tobacco taxes for the first time in more than a decade. On a rainy afternoon in April, a woman asked a smoker to put out a cigarette at a busy bus stop where nearly 10 people were waiting. The request led to a heated exchange, with the smoker arguing it was a public space, and ended with him throwing a plastic bottle at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3356912/china-has-worlds-largest-smoking-population-it-harming-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3356912/china-has-worlds-largest-smoking-population-it-harming-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jun 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong has recorded an uptick in Mpox cases after an outbreak linked to a gay-friendly sauna and fitness club in Mong Kok, prompting health authorities to launch a targeted vaccination outreach programme for high-risk groups. The Centre for Health Protection has contacted more than 300 people who visited the venue since May for medical surveillance and urged anyone who visited during that period to call its dedicated hotline for advice. The centre is conducting an epidemiological... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3356633/mpox-hong-kong-what-know-about-virus-and-sauna-linked-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3356633/mpox-hong-kong-what-know-about-virus-and-sauna-linked-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jun 2026 09:23:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The head of the World Health Organization on Monday visited Uganda, where a deadly Ebola outbreak has killed two people after spreading from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The WHO has declared an international health emergency over the current outbreak, which was announced on May 15 in the northeastern DRC. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently also visited the DRC, which has seen 515 confirmed Ebola infections, including 91 deaths, according to the UN... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3356392/who-chief-visits-ebola-hit-uganda-after-virus-spreads-drc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3356392/who-chief-visits-ebola-hit-uganda-after-virus-spreads-drc?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:32:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Dr Richard Lokudu, the medical director of Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital, has received barely any compensation for his work on the front line of one of Congo’s deadliest Ebola virus outbreaks. Lokudu and several of his colleagues work all day at the hospital treating an influx of patients. Notifications of suspected cases come even late at night. “I have not received my allowance [and] what happened to others could happen to me as well,” Lokudu said. “Despite all the infection prevention... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3356264/congos-health-workers-treat-ebola-without-pay-who-seeks-resources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3356264/congos-health-workers-treat-ebola-without-pay-who-seeks-resources?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jun 2026 13:03:47 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nearly 500 Ebola cases have now been confirmed in the deadly outbreak raging in central Africa, a WHO overview showed on Saturday, amid mounting concern over the swelling scale of the epidemic. In its daily update on the situation, the World Health Organization tallied 452 confirmed cases, including 82 deaths, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), where the outbreak was declared three weeks ago. In neighbouring Uganda, meanwhile, it counted 19 confirmed cases, including two deaths. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3356212/who-warns-nearly-500-confirmed-ebola-cases-central-africa-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3356212/who-warns-nearly-500-confirmed-ebola-cases-central-africa-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jun 2026 10:30:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Kenya’s health minister said on Wednesday that the US-funded quarantine centre would proceed, days after deadly protests erupted over the project. The US-built facility at Kenya’s Laikipia Air Base was due to open last week, according to US officials, to quarantine Americans arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is battling a major Ebola outbreak. But it has been temporarily blocked by a court order, and triggered protests on Monday that killed two people, according to a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3355870/kenya-health-minister-says-us-ebola-quarantine-centre-will-proceed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3355870/kenya-health-minister-says-us-ebola-quarantine-centre-will-proceed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:17:06 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Vanuatu had a clear goal at last month’s annual assembly of the World Health Organization in Geneva – securing new international aid for the Pacific island nation. “I’m here to lobby for support,” said Jenny Stephens, Vanuatu’s director of public health. “We are experiencing the global funding cuts – it’s affecting our programmes like malaria, TB and HIV. We’re already struggling.” Vanuatu’s health programmes are among thousands in the Global South that have been halted or cancelled since the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355737/can-china-fill-funding-and-leadership-gaps-after-america-quit-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355737/can-china-fill-funding-and-leadership-gaps-after-america-quit-who?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 22:00:06 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The measles outbreak in Bangladesh is one of its deadliest health crises in decades, and experts are warning that the lack of measures to increase vaccinations and enhance immunisation across the country could lead to a further spike in cases. There have been over 60,000 suspected cases of measles, and nearly 600 people have died from the disease since mid-March, according to media reports. The outbreak has been particularly severe among malnourished children and communities with limited access... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3355742/bangladesh-faces-further-measles-risk-due-lack-vaccinations-travel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3355742/bangladesh-faces-further-measles-risk-due-lack-vaccinations-travel?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:10:22 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Kenyan court blocked on Tuesday for another three weeks a proposed US Ebola quarantine facility that has triggered protests killing two people and ordered the government to disclose its agreement with Washington. The proposed 50-bed unit on an air force base in central Kenya for Americans exposed to the virus in Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda ‌has angered many Kenyans. They accuse the US of offloading the health risk of caring for patients. A Kenyan court last week temporarily... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3355719/protests-over-us-ebola-centre-kenya-kill-2-court-keeps-block-site?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3355719/protests-over-us-ebola-centre-kenya-kill-2-court-keeps-block-site?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:34:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters The head of the World Health Organization on Monday concluded his visit to Democratic Republic of Congo by briefing the president on the response to the Ebola outbreak, which an aid agency warned was likely much larger than official figures show. The outbreak, already the third-largest on record, persisted for weeks undetected, say health officials, who were behind the curve and ‌struggling to bring it under control. Arriving in DR Congo last week, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3355662/who-chief-ends-dr-congo-visit-group-warns-ebola-likely-spread-undetected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3355662/who-chief-ends-dr-congo-visit-group-warns-ebola-likely-spread-undetected?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 06:37:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Hundreds of youths in Kenya’s central town of Nanyuki on Monday showed against the establishment at the Laikipia Air Base of an Ebola quarantine centre for American citizens exposed to the virus. The protests come two days after Kenya’s High Court suspended the establishment of the facility and the arrival of any foreign patients pending the hearing of a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya and a constitutional watchdog. The two organisations cited Kenya’s fragile health system as the reason... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3355580/young-kenyans-protest-ebola-quarantine-centre-us-citizens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3355580/young-kenyans-protest-ebola-quarantine-centre-us-citizens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:05:11 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung In the first of a six-part Health Matters wellness series on cancer in Hong Kong, Emily Hung looks into how the city takes on its leading cause of death while maintaining one of the lowest mortality rates in the developed world and what more it must do to excel as a hub for cancer research. When Hong Kong began modern cancer tracking in 1983, it recorded 15,000 new cases and a far higher death rate than today. Four decades on, the number of cases has more than doubled to 38,000, yet the risk of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3355306/hong-kong-winning-war-cancer-or-facing-new-front-late-diagnosis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3355306/hong-kong-winning-war-cancer-or-facing-new-front-late-diagnosis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 11:00:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Kenyan court temporarily halted the opening of an Ebola quarantine centre for US nationals on Friday following a petition filed by a rights group. The facility was due to open in the east Africa nation on Friday according to US officials, to quarantine Americans arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is battling a major Ebola outbreak. Washington has defended its criticised decision not to repatriate Americans infected with the virus. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3355368/kenya-court-blocks-us-ebola-quarantine-centre-set-open-friday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3355368/kenya-court-blocks-us-ebola-quarantine-centre-set-open-friday?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 13:59:05 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai President Donald Trump’s foreign policy direction could have lasting effects on America’s alliances and global leadership, and it could also speed up the shift to a multipolar world where China plays a bigger role. That is according to Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. Speaking at a seminar hosted by the university on Tuesday, Wu said the Trump administration was “reshaping US foreign policy” – and it could be a turning point for the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355142/america-250-how-trumps-foreign-policy-redefining-us-story?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355142/america-250-how-trumps-foreign-policy-redefining-us-story?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Uganda on Wednesday ordered the closure of its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, where suspected cases of a rare type of Ebola were surging, and as cases have been confirmed at home after Ugandan health workers were exposed to the disease from Congolese patients. The measure, which goes against the guidance by the World Health Organization, underscores growing fears of contagion in East Africa from Bundibugyo, a rare type of the Ebola virus that is behind this outbreak and that has... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3355083/uganda-closes-border-dr-congo-cases-rare-ebola-type-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3355083/uganda-closes-border-dr-congo-cases-rare-ebola-type-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 15:39:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters African leaders and financiers gathered for the African Development Bank’s annual meeting on Monday as the continent faces shrinking aid flows, with this week’s event in Congo Republic overshadowed by an Ebola outbreak across the border. Overseas development aid from the world’s richest nations to poorer countries dropped by nearly a ‌quarter last year to US$174.3 billion. The US led the cuts, including reduced funding to the concessional lending arm of the AfDB – Africa’s largest development... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3354795/african-development-bank-meets-shrinking-aid-ebola-cast-long-shadows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3354795/african-development-bank-meets-shrinking-aid-ebola-cast-long-shadows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 13:37:06 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Ebola is spreading faster than responders can track it in eastern Congo, where health workers managed to follow up with barely one in five identified contacts in a single day. Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reported 83 confirmed infections, 746 suspected cases and 1,603 identified contacts as of May 21, according to the health ministry. Yet health workers were able to follow up with only 342 contacts that day – about 21 per cent of the total under monitoring – according to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3354634/ebola-spreads-eastern-congo-contact-tracing-falters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3354634/ebola-spreads-eastern-congo-contact-tracing-falters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 11:37:27 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung For Hongkonger Annyee Chan, the decision to stop breastfeeding her son at eight months was a pragmatic response to a city that often feels at odds with the needs of nursing mothers. Returning to work just one month after childbirth, the self-employed wealth management professional faced a gruelling logistical challenge, navigating a city with sparse nursing facilities while lugging heavy pumps, bottles and coolers on her daily commute. “I managed to breastfeed my child quite well, and I... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354583/how-can-hong-kong-help-mothers-infants-reverse-falling-breastfeeding-rate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354583/how-can-hong-kong-help-mothers-infants-reverse-falling-breastfeeding-rate?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The head of the World Health Organization said on Friday that the Ebola outbreak in Congo is “spreading rapidly” and now poses a “very high” risk at the national level. WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency was revising upwards to “very high” its assessment of the risk within Congo, which had previously been deemed as high. The risk remains high for regional spread and low at global levels, he told reporters. The WHO chief noted that 82 cases have been... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3354571/who-raises-risk-assessment-congos-ebola-outbreak-spreads-rapidly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3354571/who-raises-risk-assessment-congos-ebola-outbreak-spreads-rapidly?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 13:10:56 +0000 Reuters Reuters Police fired warning shots and tear gas ⁠as part of a dispute in Democratic Republic of Congo’s northeast over the burial of a suspected Ebola victim, a footballer who played for local teams, that saw protesters burn down tents for Ebola patients, Reuters witnesses said. The incident highlighted the struggle Congolese authorities could face to enforce the safe burials of people with confirmed and suspected cases that are required to help contain the outbreak. It took place in the town ‌of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3354427/residents-set-fire-ebola-centre-dr-congo-fear-and-anger-grow-over-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3354427/residents-set-fire-ebola-centre-dr-congo-fear-and-anger-grow-over-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 17:16:48 +0000 Olga Wong,Kristen Cheung,Theodora Yu Olga Wong,Kristen Cheung,Theodora Yu Hong Kong has issued a red travel alert for the Democratic Republic of Congo as Ebola outbreaks escalate in Central Africa, with at least 139 suspected deaths from the disease reported. The red alert – the middle level in a three-tier outbound travel alert system under the Security Bureau – means residents travelling to the country should adjust their plans and avoid non-essential travel due to the significant threat there. The move on Thursday follows the health authorities’ announcement on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3354395/hong-kong-issues-red-travel-alert-dr-congo-deadly-ebola-outbreak-spreads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3354395/hong-kong-issues-red-travel-alert-dr-congo-deadly-ebola-outbreak-spreads?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 11:15:52 +0000 Grace Brewer Grace Brewer By midmorning in Kennedy Town, the small studio smells of coffee and warm sourdough. Around a small kitchen island, a group of Hongkongers knead dough in quiet concentration, phones forgotten, before washing their hands and drifting back to mixed-media canvases laid out beside paper scraps and paint. Artist and facilitator Eleanor McColl moves between them, demonstrating a fold in the dough here, a paint technique there. Later, they will sit down to an artisanal lunch of bread, cheese and pâté... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/special-reports/article/3354340/how-hong-kong-cancer-fund-and-artist-eleanor-mccoll-use-art-improve-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/special-reports/article/3354340/how-hong-kong-cancer-fund-and-artist-eleanor-mccoll-use-art-improve-health?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 06:52:16 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The recent hantavirus outbreak on a small cruise ship was a reminder of the hidden threats posed by deadly pathogens. Little did we know that at the same time, an outbreak of a strain of the highly fatal Ebola viral disease may have been circulating undetected for several weeks in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa. It is now reported to have killed at least 136, with hundreds of infections or suspected cases. Early detection of deadly viruses is difficult in regions... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3354252/despite-low-risk-ebola-hong-kong-vigilant-and-prepared?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3354252/despite-low-risk-ebola-hong-kong-vigilant-and-prepared?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An escalating outbreak of a rare Ebola strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo has kicked off a race to find vaccines and treatments that can be quickly tested and rolled out to save lives and stem the crisis. More than 130 people have died so far during the outbreak, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, as WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated he was “deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic”. Tedros pointed to the emergence of cases in urban... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3354217/outbreak-rare-ebola-strain-sparks-race-find-vaccines-and-treatments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3354217/outbreak-rare-ebola-strain-sparks-race-find-vaccines-and-treatments?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 07:51:34 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Governments across Asia are tightening border screening and quarantine preparedness as health authorities work to contain a growing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa. Several governments have expanded screening and reporting requirements for travellers arriving from affected countries, though officials say the likelihood of local transmission remains low and no cases have been publicly confirmed in Asia. In Hong Kong, a Lantau Island isolation facility used for quarantine during the Covid-19... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3354178/singapore-japan-south-korea-boost-ebola-screening-after-who-alert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3354178/singapore-japan-south-korea-boost-ebola-screening-after-who-alert?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 04:39:43 +0000