World Health Organization member states gather for their annual meeting in Geneva on Monday amid concern over deadly Ebola outbreaks in DR Congo and uncertainty over announced US and Argentinian withdrawals.

While the rare hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that has gripped global attention is not officially on the agenda, it is expected to feature prominently in the discussions, as is the fresh Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A diplomatic source, who asked not to be identified, said it would be interesting to see how such outbreaks are used by WHO "to promote other things", including "to pressure (the United States and Argentina) not to go".

The meeting of the WHO's annual decision-making assembly, which runs through Saturday, comes after a difficult year for the organisation. It has been weakened by the announced US withdrawal and by funding cuts that have forced it to slash its budget and staff numbers.

Mobilizing funds

"We are stable now and moving forward," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insisted at the end of April.

The situation is "still fragile, but they've been successful in mobilising most of the funds" required for the next two years, Surie Moon, co-director of the Global Health Centre at the Geneva Graduate Institute, told AFP.

And the hantavirus crisis provided "a clear illustration of why the world needs an effective, trusted, impartial, reliably-funded WHO", she added.

The assembly will take place as the process towards next year's election of a new WHO chief heats up.

No one has yet declared their candidacy, but announcements are possible this week ahead of the September 24 nomination deadline.