The Hantavirus Outbreak Is A Reminder Of The Urgency Of Political Leadership For Outbreak And Pandemic Preparedness

Co-Chairs of The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response: the hantavirus outbreak is a reminder of the urgency and importance of implementing international protocols and regulations for disease prevention, preparedness, and response

The hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius vessel has demanded a complex, internationally co-ordinated response. One death on a ship in a remote location has led to a chain of events involving the World Health Organization, the expertise of multiple countries, attention from Presidents and Prime Ministers, and a multi-country repatriation exercise involving chartered flights and carefully managed health protocols.

This outbreak has tested the international system. It has demonstrated its strengths, but it has also revealed gaps. It must now serve as a rallying cry to leaders to sustain focus on disease prevention, preparedness, and response systems, and to invest in them.

Based on available public information, we make the following points:

1. We commend the international response to the outbreak from May 2 onwards. The identification and communication of the hantavirus results from South Africa to the United Kingdom, its subsequent reporting to the World Health Organization (WHO), and from WHO to countries worldwide demonstrated the importance of rapid application of the International Health Regulations.

WHO has played a leadership role, and we appreciate its frequent communication to the public, published updates, together with the action taken by its most senior leadership.

Many countries and regional health authorities have also played essential roles including sharing information, giving diagnostic support, and, crucially, facilitating the anchoring and disembarkation of all remaining passengers at Tenerife.

We stress that every country must take part in this international system. A gap anywhere puts us all at risk.

2. We believe there must be a review of the chain of events and communication leading up to May 2 with a view to identifying gaps and vulnerabilities in the system and fixing them.

From April 11, the day of the first death, to May 2, a series of events resulted in the growth of the hantavirus outbreak. There were risks to passengers onboard, to people interacting with them on remote islands, and, following the April 24 disembarkation in St. Helena, to those who contacted them on land, in the air, and at their next destinations.

A review should determine whether a more precautionary approach could have been applied pursuant to the guidelines in the WHO Handbook for Managing Public Health Events on Board Ships. While sadly, deaths on ships do occur, as more people embark on adventure travel to remote locations, the need to protect travellers and those in contact with them from potential exposure to pathogens will increase.

3. We underscore the urgency and importance of political leadership for outbreak and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

Now we call on leaders and governments everywhere to:

• Facilitate ending the chains of transmission of this hantavirus outbreak as soon as possible. All relevant protocols for contact tracing, infection control, reporting, isolation and supportive care must be followed.
• Review outbreak and pandemic planning to address vulnerabilities in the system, including in shipping, marine health and death-related protocols, port management, and protection of populations in remote locations.
• Ensure a more robust multilateral framework to address disease outbreaks by successfully negotiating the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing Annex, and then ratify and fully implement the new WHO Pandemic Agreement.
• Advance outbreak and pandemic readiness and response at the UNGA High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR) in September 2026, and ensure that the Political Declaration includes measurable commitments to close the gaps in PPPR, including in One Health, in financing - including for surge financing, equity, monitoring, and accountability.

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