Inside EU Health: WHO launches Ukraine appeal; 8 in 10 people who got measles in 2025 were unvaccinated; Parliament debates cancer resolution
WHO requests US$42m to maintain health care amid Ukraine war; 8 in 10 people who fell ill with measles during 2025 had not been vaccinated; Parliament debates cancer resolution
WHO requests US$42m to maintain health care amid Ukraine war
The World Health Organization has launched a US$42 million Humanitarian Appeal for Ukraine for 2026 to safeguard health care access for 700,000 people affected by the war. The appeal prioritizes emergency and trauma care, primary health services, preparedness and medical evacuations.
“Ukraine’s humanitarian health needs remain immense,” said WHO’s representative in the country, stressing that pressure on the health system has not eased. In 2025, WHO supported nearly two million people, often close to frontlines.
Since 2022, at least 2,841 attacks on health care have been verified, while 3.6 million people remain displaced. WHO warns that declining global funding risks further deterioration of health outcomes.
Catherine Feore
8 in 10 people who fell ill with measles during 2025 had not been vaccinated
Measles cases remain a serious concern in 2025, with more than 7,000 infections reported across 30 European countries and recorded eight deaths. Although cases declined compared with 2024, they are still nearly double those seen in 2023. Eight in ten people who fell ill were unvaccinated.
Children under five were particularly affected, accounting for 40% of cases. Measles can cause severe complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, immune damage, and death.
“Vaccination is not only an act of self-protection but also one of solidarity,” said ECDC expert Sabrina Bacci, stressing that measles can be eliminated if vaccination coverage reaches 95%.
Catherine Feore
Parliament debates World Cancer Day resolution
At a debate in the European Parliament on a Motion for a Resolution on World Cancer Day (4 February, last week), Catarina Martins (The Left, Portugal) said: “We're making these statements about our commitment to fighting cancer, and it all sounds very nice, but there's a small problem. Without the budget, everything that we say is just empty words.”
Martins said that the resolution was difficult to produce because of the inclusion of the risks of alcohol, “science says that everything has risks, even minimal consumption of alcohol, and our obligation is to provide the best science to the general public, we shouldn't hide risks.”
French MEP Laurent Castillo (EPP)pointed to shortages in the supply of medicines: “In France, more than a third of French people suffering from cancer have already faced difficulties accessing medication.”
Many of the MEPs echoed the priorities of European Cancer Organisation, including the creation of a European Cancer Institute.
Catherine Feore