The World Health Organization (WHO) was founded on April 7, 1948 and is a specialized agency of the United Nations that works to promote health worldwide. It began with international sanitary conferences in the 19th century to help reduce disease and improve cooperation between countries. WHO aims to improve global health, attain the highest level of health for all people, and lead international health within the UN system. It has over 150 country and regional offices and works on issues like health emergencies, noncommunicable diseases, health systems, and health promotion.
2. History
It was founded on 7th April 1948 – the
first World Health Day
It is a member of the United Nations
Development Group
It was founded in San Francisco
3. Why was it founded?
International health cooperation began with
the first International Sanitary Conference in
Paris, which opened on 23rd July 1851.
The objective of this conference was to reduce to
a safe minimum the conflicting and costly maritime
quarantine requirements of
different European nations.
(…)
4. (…)
At the 1903 conference it was agreed in
principle that a permanent international
health bureau should be established.
The League of Nations was created as an
aftermath of the First World War.
(…)
5. (…)
One of its tasks was to "endeavour to take
steps in matters of international concern for
the prevention and control of disease".
All existing international bureaux were to be
placed under the direction of the League.
With the outbreak of the Second World War,
international health work came almost to a
standstill.
(…)
6. (…)
In April 1945 (after the War), during the
Conference to set up the United Nations (UN)
held in San Francisco, representatives of Brazil
and China proposed that an international health
organization be established and a conference to
frame its constitution convened.
7. What are its aims?
The Health Academy's goal is to improve
knowledge about attaining and maintaining
good health. Through e-Learning – which is how
WHO defines learning by any electronic
technology and media – the Organization has
the means to reach out to people with information
on disease prevention and
health promotion.
8. The role of WHO in public health
WHO fulfils its objectives through its 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, translation and dissemination of valuable
knowledge;
(…)
9. (…)
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.
10. Its worldwide presence
More than 7000 people from more than
150 countries work for the Organization
in 150 WHO offices in countries,
territories and areas, six regional
offices, at the Global Service Centre in
Malaysia and at the headquarters in
Geneva, Switzerland.
11. 194 Member states
A
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and
Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
B
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
(Plurinational
State of)
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
12. C
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Central African
Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
D
Democratic
People's Republic
of Korea
Democratic
Republic of the
Congo
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican
Republic
E
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial
Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
13. F
Fiji
Finland
France
G
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
H
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
14. I
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran (Islamic
Republic of)
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
J
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
K
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
L
Lao People's
Democratic
Republic
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
15. M
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
(Federated
States of)
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
N
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norway
O
Oman
16. P
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Papua New
Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Q
Qatar
R
Republic of
Korea
Republic of
Moldova
Romania
Russian
Federation
Rwanda
17. S
Saint Kitts and
Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and
Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab
Republic
T
Tajikistan
Thailand
The former
Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and
Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
18. U
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab
Emirates
United Kingdom
United Republic
of Tanzania
United States of
America
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
V
Vanuatu
Venezuela
(Bolivarian
Republic of)
Viet Nam
Y
Yemen
Z
Zambia
Zimbabwe
19. Symbol
WHO's emblem was chosen by the
first World Health Assembly in 1948. The
emblem consists of the United Nations
symbol surmounted by a staff with a
snake coiling round it. The staff with the
snake has long been a symbol of
medicine and the medical
profession.
20. (…)
It originates from the story of Asclepius
who was revered by the ancient Greeks
as a god of healing
and whose cult
involved the use of
snakes.