4 June 2018: The UN announced that recent outbreaks of Ebola and lassa fever in sub-Saharan and West Africa abated in the month of May, as agencies worked to reduce their spread through emergency relief and increased human capacity in affected countries. UN agencies are also working to stop the spread of HIV, globally, by calling for an end to discrimination against LGBTI people so they can better access healthcare and social services. The UN measures are helping to meet SDG target 3.3, which commits to ending epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and other communicable diseases by 2030.

On 11 May, the World Health Organization (WHO) reduced the classification of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to low-risk status. The UN agency continues to work with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Food Programme (WFP) to ensure that healthcare and food supplies are on standby in case of an uptick in transmission. WHO identified a slightly higher risk of Ebola transmission to the nearby Republic of Congo and Central African Republic (CAR) than other neighboring countries. The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, approved US$2 million for fighting the outbreak. [UN Press Release on Ebola]

The UN announced that more than 100 people have died in an outbreak of lassa fever in Nigeria that began in December 2016. It is the country’s largest epidemic of the disease ever. WHO announced that the number of new cases fell in April and May, meaning that the outbreak is no longer a national health emergency. [UN Press Release on Lassa Fever]

On 17 May, the UN marked the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) with a message urging an end to discrimination against LGBTI people. In conjunction with the Day, UNAIDS noted that men who have sex with men and transgender women are among the communities most affected by HIV. However, UN agencies report that more than 40% of countries criminalize same-sex relationships, effectively blocking gay and lesbian people from accessing healthcare and social services. UN Women, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UNAIDS are working with the Global Network of People Living with HIV to end HIV-related discrimination and epidemics of AIDS by 2030. [UN Press Release on IDAHOT]

On 4 June, UN General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak convened an interactive civil society hearing in New York, US as part of the preparatory process for the high-level meeting on fighting tuberculosis, which takes place on 26 September 2018. Lajcak had previously advised Marie Chatardová, President of the UN Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC), that negotiations towards an outcome document from the high-level meeting would begin in early June. [Summary of 23 May Meeting]