WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, STRUCTURE, CONSTITUTION, FUNCTIONS, CORE FUNCTIONS, ORIGIN, POLICIES, FRAMEWORK, MEETINGS, TASK FORCES, MAINFRAME WORKS, HEALTH LOANS, POLICY MAKERS AND DECISIONS

1. “WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION”
SOURAB KOSEY, ISFCP MOGA, PUNJAB
09-04-2020 ISF College of Pharmacy, MOGA 1

2. The World Health Organization (WHO) is
a specialised agency of the United
Nations responsible for international public
health. It is part of the U.N. Sustainable
Development Group. The WHO Constitution,
which establishes the agency's governing
structure and principles, states its main objective
as ensuring "the attainment by all peoples of the
highest possible level of health." It is
headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with six
semi-autonomous regional offices and 150 field
offices worldwide.

3. • The WHO was established in 7 April 1948,
which is commemorated as World Health
Day. The first meeting of the World Health
Assembly (WHA), the agency's governing body,
took place on 24 July 1948. The WHO
incorporated the assets, personnel, and duties
of the League of Nations' Health Organisation
and the Office International d'Hygiène
Publique, including the International
Classification of Diseases. Its work began in
earnest in 1951 following a significant infusion
of financial and technical resources.

4. • The WHO's broad mandate includes advocating for
universal healthcare, monitoring public health
risks, coordinating responses to health
emergencies, and promoting human health and
wellbeing. It provides technical assistance to
countries, sets international health standards and
guidelines, and collects data on global health
issues through the World Health Survey. Its
flagship publication, the World Health Report,
provides expert assessments of global health
topics and health statistics on all nations. The
WHO also serves as a forum for summits and
discussions on health issues

5. Origins
• The International Sanitary Conferences, originally
held on 23 June 1851, were the first predecessors
of the WHO. A series of 14 conferences that lasted
from 1851 to 1938, the International Sanitary
Conferences worked to combat many diseases,
chief among them cholera, yellow fever, and
the bubonic plague. The conferences were largely
ineffective until the seventh, in 1892; when an
International Sanitary Convention that dealt with
cholera was passed. Five years later, a convention
for the plague was signed.

6. • In part as a result of the successes of the
Conferences, the Pan-American Sanitary
Bureau (1902), and the Office International
d'Hygiène Publique (1907) were soon
founded. When the League of Nations was
formed in 1920, they established the Health
Organization of the League of Nations.
After World War II, the United Nations
absorbed all the other health organizations,
to form the WHO.

7. Constitution of the World Health Organization:
Principles
• Health is a state of complete physical, mental and
social well-being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity.
• The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard
of health is one of the fundamental rights of every
human being without distinction of race, religion,
political belief, economic or social condition.
• The health of all peoples is fundamental to the
attainment of peace and security and is dependent
on the fullest co-operation of individuals and
States.
• The achievement of any State in the promotion
and protection of health is of value to all.

8. • Unequal development in different countries in the
promotion of health and control of diseases, especially
communicable disease, is a common danger.
• Healthy development of the child is of basic importance;
the ability to live harmoniously in a changing total
environment is essential to such development.
• The extension to all peoples of the benefits of medical,
psychological and related knowledge is essential to the
fullest attainment of health.
• Informed opinion and active co-operation on the part of
the public are of the utmost importance in the
improvement of the health of the people.
• Governments have a responsibility for the health of their
peoples which can be fulfilled only by the provision of
adequate health and social measures.

9. Pattern of activities of World Health Organisation (WHO)
• The main emphasis has been to promote national, regional and global
strategies for attaining the main social goal of the member countries.
• The motto Health for all in the 21st Century shall enable the citizens of
the world to lead a socially and economically productive life.
• The 50th World Health Assembly held its session in 1997 and adopted
a number of resolutions on public health.
• The World Health Report, 1997, conquering suffering, enriching
humanity, dwelt on non-communicable diseases. It warned of huge
human and social costs of diseases like cancer, heart diseases and other
chronic diseases.
• The projected increase in diseases is as a result of combination of
factors, and not because of populating ageing and the rising prevalence
of unhealthy life styles.
• Average life expectancy of birth globally reached 65 years in 1996 and
in many countries exceeds 80 years.
• The leading bitter disease is coronary heart diseases.
• WHO has called for an intensified and sustained global campaign to
encourage healthy life styles. Main risk factors should be attached to
combat incidence of these fatal diseases.

10. Functions of World Health Organisation (WHO)
• The objective is the attainment of the highest
possible level of health for all the people.
• It establishes and maintains collaboration with the
UN specialised agencies, governmental health
administration, professional and other groups
related with the health.
• Assist governments to strengthen their public health
services.
• To stimulate and advance work to eradicate
diseases.
• To promote maternal and child health.
• To ensure mental health, medical research and
prevention of accidents.

11. • To improve standards of training and teaching for
study in the member health professions.
• To improve nutrition, sanitation, working conditions
and other aspects of environmental health.
• Empowered to propose conventions, agreements
and regulations and make recommendations about
international health matters.
• Empowered to revise the international
nomenclature of diseases, cause of death and public
health services.
• WHO can also develop, establish and promote inter-
national standards relating food, biological,
pharmaceutical and similar substances.

12. Six 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;
• 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 addressing
health trends.

13. Working Methodology of World Health
Organisation (WHO)
• Co-operation is extended to country projects
only on the request of the government
concerned through the six regional offices.
• WHO makes available worldwide technical
services.
• Expert committees, drawn from 55 advisory
panels of experts, advise the Director- General
on a given subject.

14. • Scientific groups and consultative meetings
are also convened for similar purposes.
• Seminars, technical conferences and training
courses are conducted to keep the health
personnel fully abreast.
• Advisors, consultants and lecturers are
arranged for upgrading skills of health
personnel.
• WHO awards fellowships for the study to the
member countries.