World Health Organization (WHO)

28/09/2024

274 2 minutes read

World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations’ specialized organization for Health was established in 1948.
Its headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland.
There are 194 Member States, 150 country offices, 6 regional offices.
It is an intergovernmental organization and works in collaboration with its member states typically through the Ministries of Health.
The WHO offers leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, placing norms and requirements, articulating evidence-based policy options, supplying technical assistance to nations and monitoring and assessing health developments.
It started out performing on April 7, 1948 – a date now being celebrated every year as World Health Day.

To act as the directing and coordinating authority on global health works.
To set up and preserve effective collaboration with the United Nations, specialized corporations, governmental health administrations, professional organizations and such other groups may be deemed appropriate.
To provide help to the Governments, upon request, in strengthening health services.
To promote cooperation among medical and expert organizations which make a contribution to the development of health.

Membership: WHO currently has 194 member states.
World Health Assembly (WHA): The maximum decision-making body of WHO and contains representatives from all member States.
Secretariat: Responsible for wearing out the regulations and applications approved with the assistance of the WHA.
Director-General: Director-General heads the WHA and is supported by a senior control crew.
Regional Offices: WHO also has 6 regional places of work: Africa, the Americas, Southeast Asia, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific.
- Each regional office is accountable for coordinating and assisting WHO’s paintings of their respective regions.
Meetings: The WHA meets annually to set policies, approve the budget and decide on the Director-General.
Funding mechanism: WHO receives its funding from two main assets:
- Assessed contributions: These are the due countries pay in order to be a member of the Organization.
- Voluntary contributions: It is from Member States (further to their assessed contribution) or from other partners like United Nations organizations, intergovernmental groups, philanthropic foundations, the private sector and so forth.

The Health Assembly determines the regulations of the Organization.
It supervises the monetary guidelines of the Organization and evaluates and approves the budget.
It reviews the Economic and Social Council according to any settlement between the Organization and the United Nations.

The Secretariat comprises the Director-General and such technical and administrative team of workers as the Organization may require.
The Director-General is appointed with the assistance of the Health Assembly at the nomination of the Board on such phrases as the Health Assembly can also determine.

Members of the United Nations may also turn out to be Members of the Organization.
Territories or organizations of territories which aren’t accountable for the behavior in their global relation can be admitted as Associate Members by the Health Assembly.