A Brief Presentation of WHO

WHO

WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

WHO was established on 7th April 1948. WHO currently has 193 Member States and two Associate Members.  They meet every year at the World Health Assembly in Geneva to set policy for the Organization, approve the Organization’s budget, and every five years, to appoint the Director-General. Their work is supported by the 34-member Executive Board, which is elected by the Health Assembly. Six regional committees focus on health matters of a regional nature.

Mission of WHO

WHO's objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. The Constitution defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

What is WHO about?

In carrying out its activities WHO focuses on the following core functions:

• providing leadership on matters critical to health and engaging in partnerships where joint action is needed;
• shaping the research agenda, and stimulating the generation, dissemination and application of valuable knowledge;
• setting norms and standards, and promoting and monitoring their implementation;
• articulating ethical and evidence-based policy options;
• providing technical support, catalysing change and building sustainable institutional capacity;
• monitoring the health situation and assessing health trends.

Some achievements of WHO

• Adoption by the World Health Assembly of a resolution to create the Expanded Programme on Immunization to bring basic vaccines to all the world’s children in 1974
• Eradication of smallpox in 1979
• Since its launch in 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has reduced the number of cases of polio by more than 99%
• Drop of the prevalence rate of leprosy by 90% – from 21.1 per 10 000 inhabitants to less than 1 per 10 000 inhabitants in 2000
• Life expectancy increased from 46.5 to 65.2 years over the last 50 years.

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