Why COP11 Should Be Livestreamed and Open to the Press

By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma The 11th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), scheduled to take place at the Geneva International Conference Centre in Switzerland from November 17 to 22, has faced growing criticism for its lack of transparency during meetings. While the WHO FCTC does not outright ban media attendance at COP sessions, it imposes strict accreditation and vetting procedures that significantly limit press participation. Members of the media may only attend if they have been…

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WHO, Africa CDC Commence Countdown to Declare DRC Ebola-Free

By Michael Gwarisa in Durban Just over a month since the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared an Ebola outbreak, African health authorities say the situation is now under control, and the outbreak could soon be declared over. On September 4, 2025, the DRC Ministry of Public Health announced an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Kasai Province. The index case was a 32-year-old pregnant woman from Bulape Health Zone in Kasai. Since then, 53 confirmed cases have been reported from 923 samples collected, with 34 confirmed deaths. However,…

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