World Health
Organisation
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is a specialized agency of the
United Nations that works towards the improvement and
maintenance of global public health. It has been instrumental in
shaping health policies, responding to emergencies, and
researching diseases.
United Nations’ specialized agency for Health was founded in
1948
Headquarters - Geneva, Switzerland.
The World Health Assembly
• The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the decision-making body
of the World Health Organization. Comprising delegates from all
194 member states, the WHA meets annually to discuss and set
global health policies and priorities.
• The assembly is responsible for appointing the Director-General
of the WHO and approving the organization's budget and
activities.
• 150 country offices, six regional offices. It is an inter-
governmental organization and works in collaboration with its
member states usually through the Ministries of Health.
• The WHO provides 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.
• It began functioning on April 7, 1948 – a date now being
celebrated every year as World Health Day.
The World Health Assembly - 2023
In Geneva, Switzerland headquarters
21-30 May 2023
Theme – Saving lives, driving health for all
Director General – Dr. Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus
Mission and Goals
Health for all 🌍 Research and Collaboration and
Innovation 🔬 Partnership 🤝
The mission of the WHO
is to ensure that all The WHO is dedicated to It works to strengthen
people can attain the discovering new ways to partnerships and
highest possible level of prevent, diagnose, and collaboration between
health. treat diseases. countries and
organizations to improve
public health globally.
Objectives
1 To act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work.
2 To establish and maintain effective collaboration with the United Nations, specialized agencies, governmental health administ
3 To provide assistance to the Governments, upon request, in strengthening health services.
4
4. To promote cooperation among scientific and professional groups which contribute to the advancement of health.
Achievements
1 Eradication of Smallpox
One of the most significant achievements of WHO has been the worldwide
eradication of smallpox. Vaccination campaigns led to the last known case in
1977.
2 HIV/AIDS Control
WHO has played a major role in controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS. It has
advocated for early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies.
3 Reducing Infant Mortality
WHO has helped to reduce the infant mortality rate globally through vaccination
campaigns, access to clean water and sanitation, and improving maternal health.
4 Controlling Polio
WHO has been instrumental in reducing the number of cases of polio, through
vaccination campaigns, surveillance, and strengthening national immunization
programs.
Current Global Health Issues
COVID-19 Malaria Access to Clean Water
and Sanitation
WHO has played a crucial Malaria is a major global
role in managing the COVID- health concern, especially in Over half the world's
19 pandemic, providing sub-Saharan Africa. WHO population still lacks access
guidance, research, and has been working to develop to clean water and adequate
support to countries around new strategies for sanitation. WHO works to
the world. prevention and treatment. increase access to these
basic needs.
Collaborations with Other Organizations
1 UNICEF 2 World Bank 3 CDC
WHO and UNICEF WHO collaborates with The Centers for
work together to the World Bank to Disease Control and
improve global child improve public health Prevention (CDC) in
health and survival, in developing the United States
providing vaccination countries, helping to works closely with the
campaigns and reduce poverty and WHO on global health
improving maternal promote health. issues, including
health. disease outbreaks and
emergency response.
Future Direction
Preventing Tackling Non- Universal Health
Outbreaks Communicable Coverage
Diseases
WHO aims to strengthen WHO seeks to ensure that
global health security by WHO is prioritizing the all people have access to
improving disease prevention and the health services they
surveillance, response, and management of non- need, without suffering
preparedness for communicable diseases financial hardship.
emergencies. such as cancer, heart
disease, and diabetes.
FUNCTIONS
The Health Assembly
determines the policies of
the Organization.
It reports to the
Economic and Social It supervises the
Council in financial policies of
accordance with any the Organization and
agreement between reviews and
the Organization and approves the budget.
the United Nations.
CONTRIBUTIONS
The organization believes
For ex, all nations have that immunization, which
WHO is leading a
benefited from their prevents the six major
The benefits of WHO's worldwide campaign to
contributions to the WHO communicable diseases of
international health work provide effective
programs that led to the childhood—diphtheria,
are reaped by all countries, immunization for all
global eradication of measles, poliomyelitis,
including the most children in cooperation
smallpox and to promote tetanus, tuberculosis, and
developed. with the United Nations
better and cheaper ways of whooping cough—should
Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
controlling tuberculosis. be available to all children
who need it.
Ayurveda and the World
Health Organization
The World Health Organization recognizes the importance of
traditional medicine, including Ayurveda, in global health. In recent
years, the WHO has been working with member states and other
organizations to integrate traditional medicine into national health
systems and promote research and development in this area. The
WHO has also established guidelines for the safe use and
regulation of traditional medicine.
Conclusion
The World Health Organisation is a champion of global public health, promoting health and well-
being for all. Its contributions are significant, and its mission remains critically important in
shaping the future of the world's health.
THANK YOU
DHRITHI P BHAT | KEERTHI K
