It is important to provide an integrated and comprehensive leadership on global health matters. Who is responsible for doing this? This is done by an international organization called World Health Organization or WHO. In this lesson, we will understand:
World Health Organization is also called WHO. It is a part of the United Nations. It deals with major health issues around the world. It sets standards for disease control, health care and medicines; conducts education and research programs; and publishes scientific papers and reports. One of its major goals is to improve access to health care for people in developing countries and in groups who do not get good health care.
The headquarter of WHO is located in Geneva, Switzerland. There are 6 WHO regions (Africa, America, South-East Asia, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean and West Pacific), each with a regional office. In addition, it also has field offices in various countries, territories and areas.
In April 1945, there was a conference being held to set up the United Nations (UN) in San Francisco. During this conference, representatives of Brazil and China proposed establishing an international health organization and they called for a conference to frame the constitution of this international health organization.
Later, in February 1946, the Economic and Social Council of the UN instructed the Secretary-General to call together the conference.
From 18 March to 5 April 1946, a Technical Preparatory Committee met in Paris. This committee drew up proposals for the constitution.
From 19 June to 22 July 1946, the International Health Conference took place in New York City where the above proposals were presented.
On the basis of these proposals, the International Health Conference drafted and adopted the Constitution of the World Health Organization. This Constitution was signed on 22 July 1946 by representatives of 51 members of the United Nations and of 10 other non-member nations.
Until the launch of the Constitution of the World Health Organization, an Interim Commission was established to carry out certain activities of the existing health institutions.
The preamble and Article 69 of the Constitution of WHO provide that WHO should be a specialized agency of the UN. Article 80 provides that the Constitution would come into force when 26 members of the United Nations had ratified it.
Finally, the Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948, when the 26 out of 61 governments who had signed it ratified its signature.
The first Health Assembly took place in Geneva on 24 June 1948 with delegations from 53 of the 55 member states. It decided that the Interim Commission would cease to exist at midnight on 31 August 1948, and would be immediately succeeded by WHO.
WHO has laid down the following principles that it believes are basic to the happiness, harmonious relations, and security of all peoples:
The WHO is headquartered in Geneva and has 6 regional and 150 country offices. Delegates from its member states control the agency. These delegates vote on policies and elect the director-general.
The work of the WHO is carried out by:
Based in Geneva, the World Health Assembly typically meets yearly in May. It appoints the director-general every five years and votes on matters of policy and finance of WHO, including the proposed budget. It also reviews reports of the Executive Board and decides whether there are areas of work requiring further examination. The Assembly elects 34 members, technically qualified in the field of health, to the executive board for three-year terms. The main functions of the board are to carry out the decisions and policies of the Assembly, to advise it, and to facilitate its work.
The agency is headed by the Director-General, who is appointed by the Health Assembly on the nomination of the Executive Board. WHO delegates set the agency’s agenda and approve an aspirational budget each year at the World Health Assembly. The director-general is responsible for raising the lion’s share of funds from donors.
Global institutions: Apart from regional, country, and liaison offices, the World Health Assembly has also established other institutions for promoting and carrying on research. For example, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Regional offices: Article 44 of the WHO's constitution allows the WHO to "establish a single regional organization to meet the special needs of each defined area. Each region has a regional committee that generally meets once a year. Each regional office is headed by a director, who is elected by the Regional Committee. Each regional committee of the WHO consists of all the Health Department heads, in all the governments of the countries that constitute the Region. The regional director is effectively the head of WHO for his or her region. The regional director manages and/or supervises a staff of health and other experts at the regional offices and in specialized centers. The regional director is also the direct supervising authority (along with the WHO Director-General) of all the heads of WHO country offices, known as WHO Representatives, within the region.
WHO Member States are grouped into six regions. Each region has a regional office:
| Africa |
Brazzaville, Republic of Congo |
AFRO includes most of Africa, with the exception of Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Tunisia, Libya, Somalia and Morocco (all fall under EMRO). |
| Europe | Copenhagen, Denmark | EURO includes all of Europe (except Liechtenstein), Israel, and all of the former USSR. |
| South-east Asia | New Delhi, India | North Korea is served by SEARO. |
| Eastern Mediterranean | Cairo, Egypt | The Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office serves the countries of Africa that are not included in AFRO, as well as all countries in the Middle East except for Israel. Pakistan is served by EMRO. |
| Western Pacific | Manila, the Philippines | WPRO covers all the Asian countries not served by SEARO and EMRO, and all the countries in Oceania. South Korea is served by WPRO. |
| The Americas | Washington, D.C., United States |
Also known as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and covers the Americas. |
It monitors and coordinates activities concerning many health-related issues, including genetically modified foods, climate change, tobacco and drug use, and road safety. It is also an arbiter of norms and best practices.
Since 1977, the WHO has maintained a list of essential medicines that it encourages hospitals to stock. Along with a list of essential medicines, it also came up with a list of diagnostic tests. It also provides guidance on priority medical devices, such as ventilators and X-ray and ultrasound machines. It keeps member countries informed of the latest developments in cancer research, drug development, disease prevention, control of drug addiction, vaccine use, and health hazards of chemicals and other substances.
In 2007, the members of the agency granted it exclusive authority to declare global health emergencies. The agency sponsors measures for the control of epidemic and endemic diseases by promoting mass campaigns involving nationwide vaccination programs, instruction in the use of antibiotics and insecticides, the improvement of laboratory and clinical facilities for early diagnosis and prevention, assistance in providing pure-water supplies and sanitation systems, and health education for people living in rural communities. The campaigns proved successful against AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and several other diseases.
Some of the significant achievements of the WHO include child vaccination programs, which contributed to the eradication of smallpox in 1979, a 99% reduction in polio infections and leading the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has played a crucial role in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
The WHO relies on its member states to monitor and report crises in a timely fashion.
If there is an extraordinary crisis, the WHO can declare a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC, pronounced “fake”). During a PHEIC, the WHO issues nonbinding guidance to its members on how they should respond to the emergency, including on potential travel and trade restrictions. It seeks to prevent countries in the region and beyond from overreacting and inflicting undue economic harm on the country in crisis. Declaring a PHEIC can help accelerate international action and encourage priority research on the disease in question.
Additionally, the WHO also provides coordination and guidance for emergencies that aren't at the level of a PHEIC. In an emergency, the WHO lays down treatment guidelines in order to prevent panic. It also acts as a global coordinator by guiding scientific data and experts to where needed.
