Heatwaves across Europe are affecting the health and livelihoods of millions of people.Last year in the WHO European Region, extreme heat claimed more than 60 000 lives, and by 2050 this could rise to 120 000 heat-related deaths every year. Climate change is increasing the risk of heatwaves, and extreme heat in the summer months is becoming the norm, not the exception.

On 6 February 2023, a series of massive earthquakes struck south-eastern Türkiye near the border with the Syrian Arab Republic. These and hundreds of aftershocks caused significant destruction on each side of the border, claiming thousands of lives across both countries and damaging or destroying essential infrastructure, including health facilities.

WHO is working closely with its offices in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, as well as partners, to rapidly respond to the health emergency triggered by the conflict and to minimize disruptions to the delivery of critical health-care services.

An atypical outbreak of mpox was declared in the WHO European Region in May 2022, following reports of a number of cases across several Member States not linked to countries where the disease is endemic. As the outbreak grew to include countries beyond the WHO European Region, it was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by WHO on July 23, 2022.

The global disease outbreak of COVID-19 was first reported to WHO on 31 December 2019.