Congo said on Thursday that Ebola had reached three new health zones, bringing the outbreak total to 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths. The outbreak has also crossed into neighboring Uganda.

“There are still many blind spots in some areas that are high risk,” Olivier le Polain, a WHO epidemiologist based in Beni, eastern Congo, said.

Le Polain said surveillance systems needed to be strengthened in affected regions, adding that a shortage of isolation beds remained a major challenge. Only 250 beds were available across the three affected provinces, he said.

The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved treatment or vaccine. Health workers said the disease went undetected for weeks, leaving responders struggling to contain its spread.

The WHO has not yet issued projections on the possible scale of the outbreak, Le Polain said.

The warning came after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the outbreak could potentially reach levels comparable to the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people.

Health officials said efforts to control the current outbreak are being complicated by limited medical resources and challenges in identifying cases early.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it was concerned about multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements. The mission did not specify the number of people affected, although local media reports said at least 21 women and girls had been detained.

In a statement posted on X late Sunday, UNAMA reminded Afghanistan’s de facto authorities that all people are entitled to freedom of movement and equal treatment under the law, regardless of gender.

The reported detentions followed a Taliban directive issued last week requiring women appearing in public to wear what authorities described as a “proper hijab,” according to local media. Reports said women who showed their faces or wore makeup could face punitive measures. Reuters could not independently verify the directive.

The Taliban administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the reported arrests.

Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has imposed extensive restrictions on women and girls, limiting access to secondary and higher education, employment opportunities and organized sports. The policies have drawn criticism from the United Nations, Western governments and international rights organizations.

Taliban officials maintain that women’s rights are protected under their interpretation of Islamic law.

The issue has also raised concerns about Afghanistan’s long-term social and economic development. A UNICEF report published in April warned that continued restrictions on girls’ education and women’s employment could leave the country short of more than 25,000 female teachers and healthcare workers by 2030.

KInternational agencies have repeatedly argued that women’s participation in education, healthcare and the workforce is critical to addressing Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development challenges.

Filipino migrants with pending applications for U.S. permanent residency say uncertainty surrounding a recent government memo on green card processing has heightened concerns over their legal status, employment prospects and family stability, while immigration advocates continue to seek formal clarification from federal authorities.

Questions emerged after comments by Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez to Philippine broadcaster GMA News, in which he said Filipinos applying for a green card would need to “go home first,” reflecting guidance that appeared consistent with a U.S. government memo whose implications have been widely debated among migrant communities.

The remarks drew attention among Filipino workers in the United States, many of whom have spent years building careers and supporting families while awaiting decisions on their residency applications.Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said uncertainty remains because U.S. authorities have yet to issue updated public guidance clarifying reports that elements of the policy may have been reconsidered.

“Stakeholders continue to be confused and dubious of the government’s claims. Until we have official word, we remain concerned and extremely cautious,” Dalal-Dheini said.The lack of clear guidance has created challenges for migrants attempting to plan their futures, according to advocates and workers affected by the policy debate.

Immigration lawyers say applicants are often reluctant to make major employment, housing or family decisions when regulatory requirements remain unclear.Among those affected is Marie, a Filipino migrant whose green card application remains pending.

She said the uncertainty extends beyond migrants themselves and affects the broader network of relatives and communities that depend on them.According to Marie, the consequences of prolonged uncertainty could also be felt by U.S. citizens who rely on migrant workers for essential services and care.

The issue is particularly significant in sectors such as elder care, where Filipino workers have long played an important role in addressing labor shortages and supporting aging populations in parts of the United States.Gabriela, a Filipino caregiver who has worked at the same retirement home in California’s San Fernando Valley for 15 years, said concerns about her immigration status have intensified because her permanent residency application has not yet been resolved.

She has cared for one patient, now 97 years old, for nine years and said the prospect of being required to leave the country raises questions about the continuity of care for elderly residents as well as the welfare of her own family.Gabriela said she migrated to the United States after concluding that opportunities in the Philippines were insufficient to provide the level of financial support she sought for her children.

With her residency application still pending, she said she fears the consequences for both her family and the people under her care if she were required to return to the Philippines before receiving a final decision on her immigration status.The concerns expressed by Filipino migrants highlight broader questions about labor migration and the economic factors that continue to drive workers overseas.

Marie said many migrants leave their home countries because of limited economic opportunities and the need to secure stable incomes for their families. She argued that immigration policies should take into account the human impact on workers who have established lives abroad while contributing to the economies and communities where they live.

“There needs to be more leadership from both the U.S. government and the Philippines government to understand the human impact, the human cost of these things,” she said.The Philippine Embassy in Washington defended the country’s record on migrant welfare and said the government remains committed to supporting Filipinos overseas.

“The Philippines is recognized globally as being at the forefront of promoting and protecting the welfare and rights of Filipino nationals overseas,” an embassy spokesperson said.The spokesperson said many overseas Filipinos choose to work abroad after assessing their personal circumstances and determining that international employment offers greater professional, financial or career opportunities than those available at home.

“While the Philippines continues to offer opportunities as a growing economy, many overseas Filipinos have carefully weighed their choices and determined that employment abroad is better suited to their personal, professional, or financial goals,” the spokesperson said.For migrants awaiting greater clarity, however, uncertainty remains the dominant concern.

Immigration advocates say formal guidance from U.S. authorities will be critical in determining how affected applicants proceed and whether existing interpretations of the policy accurately reflect government intentions.

Until such clarification is issued, lawyers, workers and advocacy groups say many applicants are likely to remain cautious about making decisions that could affect their legal status, employment and family arrangements in the United States.

The newly identified cases include a Ugandan driver who transported the country’s first confirmed Ebola patient and a healthcare worker who was exposed to the virus while caring for the same individual, the ministry said in a statement.

A Congolese woman was also confirmed to have contracted the disease, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed infections to five.

Health authorities did not immediately provide additional details on the conditions of the patients or whether further contacts were being monitored. The latest infections underscore the risks faced by frontline medical personnel and individuals who come into close contact with infected patients during outbreak investigations.

Uganda has previously experienced several Ebola outbreaks and has developed response mechanisms that include contact tracing, patient isolation and public health surveillance aimed at limiting transmission.

The confirmation of additional cases is likely to heighten monitoring efforts by health officials as they seek to prevent wider community spread and identify potential chains of transmission linked to the initial patient.

Ebola is a severe viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated materials. Outbreaks require rapid detection and containment measures to prevent further spread.

At Jemo Health Centre on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, health worker Tewodros Tibebu says social stigma and limited awareness continue to delay access to comprehensive abortion care, despite Ethiopia legalizing broad abortion services more than two decades ago.

Tibebu, who has worked in comprehensive abortion care for four years, is among only three trained providers currently delivering the service at the facility. According to his account, many patients arrive after significant delays, often seeking help only after complications emerge from procedures carried out elsewhere.

“The biggest challenge is stigma,” Tibebu said in a feature published by the World Health Organization on May 5. “Many women are afraid someone will recognize them when they come here. Others do not even know the service exists.”Comprehensive abortion care has reportedly been available at Jemo Health Centre for nearly a decade.

However, Tibebu said access barriers remain widespread, particularly for women seeking confidential and medically supervised treatment.According to his account, many patients first visit private clinics where procedures may be carried out by practitioners lacking formal training in abortion care. By the time some women reach public facilities such as Jemo, they are already suffering from infections or sepsis that could have been prevented through earlier medical intervention.

Ethiopia expanded legal access to abortion in 2005 under revised provisions that allowed the procedure under broader circumstances than previously permitted. Despite the legal framework, health care providers and reproductive health organizations have continued to report uneven access across regions, driven by social stigma, provider shortages and gaps in public awareness.

Tibebu said the stigma surrounding abortion services affects providers as well as patients. “Some coworkers oppose the comprehensive abortion care department,” he said. “Some people in my community do not know what I do.”The social pressures attached to abortion care are a recurring issue in reproductive health systems globally, particularly in countries where legal reforms have outpaced shifts in public attitudes or health infrastructure.

Health workers often face professional isolation, ethical scrutiny and personal criticism while providing services that remain politically and culturally contested.Tibebu said professional training helped him better understand both the clinical and ethical dimensions of abortion care. “Before, it was difficult,” he said.

“After I received specific training, I understood the work differently and could provide the care women need.”The experiences described by Tibebu formed part of a broader announcement by the Human Reproduction Programme, known as HRP, regarding a new international training initiative on comprehensive abortion care.

The programme, launched through the WHO Academy platform, combines four separate learning modules focused on medical abortion, surgical abortion, post-abortion care and human rights integration in comprehensive abortion care. According to HRP, the courses are designed to provide modular and interactive learning environments that simulate real clinical decision-making scenarios encountered by frontline health workers.

WHO said the training initiative is intended to strengthen evidence-based care and improve consistency in abortion services across different health systems. The programme also places emphasis on privacy, non-discrimination and accountability within clinical practice.

The human rights integration component links medical treatment with broader principles related to patient dignity and access to care, according to WHO. Together, the courses are intended to establish a standardized framework for providers working in comprehensive abortion care settings.The launch reflects continuing international efforts by global health organizations to reduce preventable maternal complications associated with unsafe abortion procedures.

WHO has repeatedly stated in policy guidance that access to trained providers, accurate information and safe clinical environments are central to reducing maternal morbidity and mortality.At facilities such as Jemo Health Centre, providers say the gap between legal availability and practical access remains significant.

Tibebu noted that many patients learn about the service only through informal networks and word-of-mouth referrals rather than official health campaigns or referrals from primary care systems.That reliance on informal communication channels, he said, contributes to delays that can worsen medical outcomes.

The WHO feature also highlighted the operational pressures facing providers in facilities with limited staffing. With only three trained workers handling abortion care services at Jemo, workloads remain concentrated among a small number of clinicians.

Training programmes such as the one launched by HRP are intended in part to address those shortages by expanding provider knowledge and strengthening clinical capacity. WHO said the interactive nature of the courses allows health workers to engage with practical decision points similar to those encountered during patient care.

The organization has increasingly used digital and modular learning systems to expand access to specialized medical training, particularly in lower-resource health settings where formal clinical education opportunities may be limited.Tibebu said the training reinforced his understanding of abortion care not only as a technical medical service but also as direct patient support during periods of vulnerability and medical risk.

“People may not understand what we do,” he said. “But when you think about the woman in front of you, the decision is clear. You are helping someone.”WHO separately announced a webinar linked to the comprehensive abortion care learning programme scheduled for April 28, 2026.

The organization also published updated abortion-related fact sheets in December 2025 as part of its broader reproductive health guidance materials.The HRP programme operates jointly under the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Children’s Fund, WHO and the World Bank, focusing on research, policy development and training in human reproduction and reproductive health services.