World Health

Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of t he Unit ed Nat ions
responsible for int ernat ional public healt h.[1] The WHO Const it ut ion st at es it s main object ive as
"t he at t ainment by all peoples of t he highest possible level of healt h".[2] Headquart ered in
Geneva, Swit zerland, it has six regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide.
 World Health Organization (WHO)

Headquarters in Geneva

Abbreviation WHO

Pronunciation /ˌdʌbəljuːˌeɪtʃˈoʊ/ by WHO itself and the

governments that work with it; /huː/ is an often-
heard spelling pronunciation

Formation 7 April 1948

Type United Nations specialized agency

Legal status Active

Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland

Head Tedros Adhanom

(Director-General)

Parent organization United Nations Economic and Social Council

Budget $7.96 billion (2020–2021)

Website www.who.int (https://www.who.int/)

 Medicine portal

 Politics portal

The WHO was est ablished on 7 April 1948.[3][4] The first meet ing of t he World Healt h Assembly
(WHA), t he agency's governing body, t ook place on 24 July of t hat year. The WHO incorporat ed
t he asset s, personnel, and dut ies of t he League of Nat ions' Healt h Organizat ion and t he Office
Int ernat ional d'Hygiène Publique, including t he Int ernat ional Classificat ion of Diseases (ICD).[5] It s
work began in earnest in 1951 aft er a significant infusion of financial and t echnical resources.[6]

The WHO's mandat e seeks and includes: working worldwide t o promot e healt h, keeping t he world
safe, and serve t he vulnerable. It advocat es t hat a billion more people should have: universal
healt h care coverage, engagement wit h t he monit oring of public healt h risks, coordinat ing
responses t o healt h emergencies, and promot ing healt h and well-being.[7] It provides t echnical
assist ance t o count ries, set s int ernat ional healt h st andards, and collect s dat a on global healt h
issues. A publicat ion, t he World Health Report, provides assessment s of worldwide healt h
t opics.[8] The WHO also serves as a forum for discussions of healt h issues.[1]

The WHO has played a leading role in several public healt h achievement s, most not ably t he
eradicat ion of smallpox, t he near-eradicat ion of polio, and t he development of an Ebola vaccine.
It s current priorit ies include communicable diseases, part icularly HIV/AIDS, Ebola, COVID-19,
malaria and t uberculosis; non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer; healt hy
diet , nut rit ion, and food securit y; occupat ional healt h; and subst ance abuse. It s World Healt h
Assembly, t he agency's decision-making body, elect s and advises an execut ive board made up of
34 healt h specialist s. It select s t he direct or-general, set s goals and priorit ies, and approves t he
budget and act ivit ies. The current direct or-general is Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of
Et hiopia.[9]

The WHO relies on cont ribut ions from member st at es (bot h assessed and volunt ary) and privat e
donors for funding. It s t ot al approved budget for 2020–2021 is over $7.2 billion, of which t he
majorit y comes from volunt ary cont ribut ions from member st at es.[1][10]
Since t he lat e 20t h
cent ury, t he rise of new act ors engaged in global healt h such as t he World Bank, t he Bill &
Melinda Gat es Foundat ion, t he US President 's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and
dozens of public-privat e part nerships for global healt h have weakened t he WHO's role as a
coordinat or and policy leader in t he field.[11]

History

Origin

The Int ernat ional Sanit ary Conferences (ISC), t he first of which was held on 23 June 1851, were
a series of conferences t hat t ook place unt il 1938, about 87 years.[12] The first conference, in
Paris, was almost solely concerned wit h cholera, which would remain t he disease of major
concern for t he ISC for most of t he 19t h cent ury. Wit h t he et iology, even t he communicabilit y,
of many epidemic diseases st ill uncert ain and a mat t er of scient ific argument , int ernat ional
agreement on appropriat e measures was difficult t o reach.[12]
Seven of t hese int ernat ional
conferences, spanning 41 years, were convened before any result ed in a mult i-st at e int ernat ional
agreement . The sevent h conference, in Venice in 1892, finally result ed in a convent ion. It was
concerned only wit h t he sanit ary cont rol of shipping t raversing t he Suez Canal, and was an effort
t o guard against import at ion of cholera.[13]: 65 

Five years lat er, in 1897, a convent ion concerning t he bubonic plague was signed by sixt een of
t he 19 st at es at t ending t he Venice conference. While Denmark, Sweden-Norway, and t he USA
did not sign t his convent ion, it was unanimously agreed t hat t he work of t he prior conferences
should be codified for implement at ion.[14] Subsequent conferences, from 1902 unt il t he final one
in 1938, widened t he diseases of concern for t he ISC, and included discussions of responses t o
yellow fever, brucellosis, leprosy, t uberculosis, and t yphoid.[15] In part as a result of t he
successes of t he Conferences, t he Pan-American Sanit ary Bureau (1902), and t he Office
Int ernat ional d'Hygiène Publique (1907) were soon founded. When t he League of Nat ions was
formed in 1920, t hey est ablished t he Healt h Organizat ion of t he League of Nat ions. Aft er World
War II, t he Unit ed Nat ions absorbed all t he ot her healt h organizat ions, t o form t he WHO.[16]

Establishment

During t he 1945 Unit ed Nat ions Conference on Int ernat ional Organizat ion, Szeming Sze, a
delegat e from China, conferred wit h Norwegian and Brazilian delegat es on creat ing an
int ernat ional healt h organizat ion under t he auspices of t he new Unit ed Nat ions. Aft er failing t o
get a resolut ion passed on t he subject , Alger Hiss, t he secret ary general of t he conference,
recommended using a declarat ion t o est ablish such an organizat ion. Sze and ot her delegat es
lobbied and a declarat ion passed calling for an int ernat ional conference on healt h.[17] The use of
t he word "world", rat her t han "int ernat ional", emphasized t he t ruly global nat ure of what t he
organizat ion was seeking t o achieve.[18] The const it ut ion of t he World Healt h Organizat ion was
signed by all 51 count ries of t he Unit ed Nat ions, and by 10 ot her count ries, on 22 July 1946.[19] It
t hus became t he first specialized agency of t he Unit ed Nat ions t o which every member
subscribed.[20] It s const it ut ion formally came int o force on t he first World Healt h Day on 7 April
1948, when it was rat ified by t he 26t h member st at e.[19]

The first meet ing of t he World Healt h Assembly finished on 24 July 1948, having secured a
budget of US$5 million(t hen £1,250,000) for t he 1949 year. G. Brock Chisholm was appoint ed
direct or-general of t he WHO, having served as execut ive secret ary and a founding member during
t he planning st ages,[21][18] while Andrija Št ampar was t he assembly's first president . It s first
priorit ies were t o cont rol t he spread of malaria, t uberculosis and sexually t ransmit t ed infect ions,
and t o improve mat ernal and child healt h, nut rit ion and environment al hygiene.[22] It s first
legislat ive act was concerning t he compilat ion of accurat e st at ist ics on t he spread and
morbidit y of disease.[18] The logo of t he World Healt h Organizat ion feat ures t he Rod of
Asclepius as a symbol for healing.[23]

Activities

IAEA – Agreement WHA 12–40

Alexey Yablokov (left) and Vassili Nesterenko (farthest right) protesting in front of the World Health Organization
headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2008

Demonstration on Chernobyl disaster day near WHO in Geneva

In 1959, t he WHO signed Agreement WHA 12–40 wit h t he Int ernat ional At omic Energy Agency
(IAEA), which says:[24]

whenever either organization proposes to initiate a programme or

activity on a subject in which the other organization has or may
have a substantial interest, the first party shall consult the other
with a view to adjusting the matter by mutual agreement.

The nat ure of t his st at ement has led some groups and act ivist s including Women in Europe for a
Common Fut ure t o claim t hat t he WHO is rest rict ed in it s abilit y t o invest igat e t he effect s on
human healt h of radiat ion caused by t he use of nuclear power and t he cont inuing effect s of
nuclear disast ers in Chernobyl and Fukushima. They believe WHO must regain what t hey see as
independence.[24][25][26]
Independent WHO held a weekly vigil from 2007 t o 2017 in front of WHO
headquart ers.[27]
However, as point ed out by Foreman[28] in clause 2 it st at es:

In particular, and in accordance with the Constitution of the World

Health Organization

and the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency and its
agreement with the United Nations together with the exchange of
letters related thereto, and taking into account the respective co-
ordinating responsibilities of both organizations, it is recognized by
the World Health Organization that the International Atomic Energy
Agency has the primary responsibility for encouraging, assisting and
co-ordinating research and development and practical application of
atomic energy for peaceful uses throughout the world

without prejudice to the right of the World Health Organization

to concern itself with promoting, developing, assisting and co-
ordinating international health work, including research, in all
its aspects."

The key t ext is highlight ed in bold, t he agreement in clause 2 st at es t hat t he WHO is free t o
perform any healt h-relat ed work.

Operational history of WHO

Three former directors of the Global Smallpox Eradication Programme read the news that smallpox had been globally
eradicated, 1980.

1947: The WHO est ablished an epidemiological informat ion service via t elex.[29]: 5 

1950: A mass t uberculosis inoculat ion drive using t he BCG vaccine get s under way.[29]: 8 

1955: The malaria eradicat ion programme was launched, alt hough object ives were lat er modified.
(In most areas, t he programme goals became cont rol inst ead of eradicat ion.)[29]: 9 

1958: Vikt or Zhdanov, Deput y Minist er of Healt h for t he USSR, called on t he World Healt h
Assembly t o undert ake a global init iat ive t o eradicat e smallpox, result ing in Resolut ion
WHA11.54.[30][31]: 366–371, 393, 399, 419 

1965: The first report on diabet es mellit us and t he creat ion of t he Int ernat ional Agency for
Research on Cancer.[29]: 10–11 

1966: The WHO moved it s headquart ers from t he Ariana wing at t he Palace of Nat ions t o a
newly const ruct ed headquart ers elsewhere in Geneva.[32][29]: 12 

1967: The WHO int ensified t he global smallpox eradicat ion campaign by cont ribut ing $2.4 million
annually t o t he effort and adopt ed a new disease surveillance met hod,[33][34] at a t ime when 2
million people were dying from smallpox per year.[35] The init ial problem t he WHO t eam faced
was inadequat e report ing of smallpox cases. WHO est ablished a net work of consult ant s who
assist ed count ries in set t ing up surveillance and cont ainment act ivit ies.[36] The WHO also helped
cont ain t he last European out break in Yugoslavia in 1972.[37] Aft er over t wo decades of fight ing
smallpox, a Global Commission declared in 1979 t hat t he disease had been eradicat ed – t he first
disease in hist ory t o be eliminat ed by human effort .[38]

1974: The Expanded Programme on Immunizat ion[29]: 13  and t he cont rol programme of
onchocerciasis was st art ed, an import ant part nership bet ween t he Food and Agricult ure
Organizat ion (FAO), t he Unit ed Nat ions Development Programme (UNDP), and t he World
Bank.[29]: 14 

1975: The WHO launched t he Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical diseases
(t he TDR).[29]: 15  Co-sponsored by UNICEF, UNDP, and t he World Bank, it was est ablished in
response t o a 1974 request from t he WHA for an int ensive effort t o develop improved cont rol
of t ropical diseases. The TDR's goals are, first ly, t o support and coordinat e int ernat ional research
int o diagnosis, t reat ment and cont rol of t ropical diseases; and, secondly, t o st rengt hen research
capabilit ies wit hin endemic count ries.[39]

1976: The WHA enact ed a resolut ion on disabilit y prevent ion and rehabilit at ion, wit h a focus on
communit y-driven care [29]: 16 

1977 and 1978: The first list of essent ial medicines was drawn up,[29]: 17  and a year lat er t he
ambit ious goal of "Healt h For All" was declared.[29]: 18 

1986: The WHO began it s global programme on HIV/AIDS.[29]: 20  Two years lat er prevent ing
discriminat ion against pat ient s was at t ended t o[29]: 21  and in 1996 t he Joint Unit ed Nat ions
Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) was formed.[29]: 23 

1988: The Global Polio Eradicat ion Init iat ive was est ablished.[29]: 22 

1995: WHO est ablished an independent Int ernat ional Commission for t he Cert ificat ion of
Dracunculiasis Eradicat ion (Guinea worm disease eradicat ion; ICCDE).[29]: 23  The ICCDE
recommends t o t he WHO which count ries fulfill requirement s for cert ificat ion. It also has role in
advising on progress made t owards eliminat ion of t ransmission and processes for verificat ion.[40]

1998: WHO's direct or-general highlight ed gains in child survival, reduced infant mort alit y,
increased life expect ancy and reduced rat es of "scourges" such as smallpox and polio on t he
fift iet h anniversary of WHO's founding. He, did, however, accept t hat more had t o be done t o
assist mat ernal healt h and t hat progress in t his area had been slow.[41]

2000: The St op TB Part nership was creat ed along wit h t he UN's formulat ion of t he Millennium
Development Goals.[29]: 24 
2001: The measles init iat ive was formed, and credit ed wit h reducing global deat hs from t he
disease by 68% by 2007.[29]: 26 

2002: The Global Fund t o Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was drawn up t o improve t he
resources available.[29]: 27 

2005: WHO revises Int ernat ional Healt h Regulat ions (IHR) in light of emerging healt h t hreat s and
t he experience of t he 2002/3 SARS epidemic, aut horizing WHO, among ot her t hings, t o declare a
healt h t hreat a Public Healt h Emergency of Int ernat ional Concern.[42]

2006: WHO endorsed t he world's first official HIV/AIDS Toolkit for Zimbabwe, which formed t he
basis for global prevent ion, t reat ment , and support t he plan t o fight t he AIDS pandemic.[43]

2016: Following t he perceived failure of t he response t o t he West Africa Ebola out break, t he
World Healt h Emergencies programme was formed, changing t he WHO from just being a
"normat ive" agency t o one t hat responds operat ionally t o healt h emergencies.[44]

2020: WHO helped in cont rolling t he worldwide out break of coronavirus (COVID-19).

2022: WHO suggest s format ion of a Global Healt h Emergency Council, wit h new global healt h
emergency workforce, recommends revision of t he Int ernat ional Healt h Regulat ions.[45]

Policies and objectives

Overall focus

The WHO's Const it ut ion st at es t hat it s object ive "is t he at t ainment by all people of t he highest
possible level of healt h".[46]

The WHO fulfills t his object ive t hrough it s funct ions as defined in it s Const it ut ion:
(a) To act as
t he direct ing and coordinat ing aut horit y on int ernat ional healt h work;
(b) To est ablish and maint ain
effect ive collaborat ion wit h t he Unit ed Nat ions, specialized agencies, government al healt h
administ rat ions, professional groups and such ot her organizat ions as may be deemed appropriat e;
(c) To assist Government s, upon request , in st rengt hening healt h services;
(d) To furnish
appropriat e t echnical assist ance and, in emergencies, necessary aid upon t he request or
accept ance of Government s;(e) To provide or assist in providing, upon t he request of t he Unit ed
Nat ions, healt h services and facilit ies t o special groups, such as t he peoples of t rust t errit ories;
(f) To est ablish and maint ain such administ rat ive and t echnical services as may be required,
including epidemiological and st at ist ical services;(g) t o st imulat e and advance work t o eradicat e
epidemic, endemic and ot her diseases; (h) To promot e, in co-operat ion wit h ot her specialized
agencies where necessary, t he prevent ion of accident al injuries;
(i) To promot e, in co-operat ion
wit h ot her specialized agencies where necessary, t he improvement of nut rit ion, housing,
sanit at ion, recreat ion, economic or working condit ions and ot her aspect s of environment al
hygiene; (j) To promot e co-operat ion among scient ific and professional groups which cont ribut e
t o t he advancement of healt h; (k) To propose convent ions, agreement s and regulat ions, and
make recommendat ions wit h respect t o int ernat ional healt h mat t ers and t o perform.

As of 2012, t he WHO has defined it s role in public healt h as follows:[47]

providing leadership on mat t ers crit ical t o healt h and engaging in part nerships where joint
act ion is needed;

shaping t he research agenda and st imulat ing t he generat ion, t ranslat ion, and disseminat ion of
valuable knowledge;[48]

set t ing norms and st andards and promot ing and monit oring t heir implement at ion;

art iculat ing et hical and evidence-based policy opt ions;

providing t echnical support , cat alysing change, and building sust ainable inst it ut ional capacit y;
and

monit oring t he healt h sit uat ion and assessing healt h t rends.

CRVS (civil regist rat ion and vit al st at ist ics) t o provide monit oring of vit al event s (birt h, deat h,
wedding, divorce).[49]
Communicable diseases

The 2012–2013 WHO budget ident ified five areas among which funding was dist ribut ed.[50]: 5, 20 
Two of t hose five areas relat ed t o communicable diseases: t he first , t o reduce t he "healt h, social
and economic burden" of communicable diseases in general; t he second t o combat HIV/AIDS,
malaria and t uberculosis in part icular.[50]: 5, 26 

As of 2015, t he World Healt h Organizat ion has worked wit hin t he UNAIDS net work and st rives t o
involve sect ions of societ y ot her t han healt h t o help deal wit h t he economic and social effect s
of HIV/AIDS.[51] In line wit h UNAIDS, WHO has set it self t he int erim t ask bet ween 2009 and
2015 of reducing t he number of t hose aged 15–24 years who are infect ed by 50%; reducing new
HIV infect ions in children by 90%; and reducing HIV-relat ed deat hs by 25%.[52]
In 2003, t he WHO denounced t he Roman Curia's healt h depart ment 's opposit ion t o t he use of
condoms, saying: "These incorrect st at ement s about condoms and HIV are dangerous when we
are facing a global pandemic which has already killed more t han 20 million people, and current ly
affect s at least 42 million."[53] As of 2009, t he Cat holic Church remains opposed t o increasing t he
use of cont racept ion t o combat HIV/AIDS.[54] At t he t ime, t he World Healt h Assembly president ,
Guyana's Healt h Minist er Leslie Ramsammy, condemned Pope Benedict 's opposit ion t o
cont racept ion, saying he was t rying t o "creat e confusion" and "impede" proven st rat egies in t he
bat t le against t he disease.[55]

During t he 1970s, WHO had dropped it s commit ment t o a global malaria eradicat ion campaign as
t oo ambit ious, it ret ained a st rong commit ment t o malaria cont rol. WHO's Global Malaria
Programme works t o keep t rack of malaria cases, and fut ure problems in malaria cont rol
schemes. As of 2012, t he WHO was t o report as t o whet her RTS,S/AS01, were a viable malaria
vaccine. For t he t ime being, insect icide-t reat ed mosquit o net s and insect icide sprays are used t o
prevent t he spread of malaria, as are ant imalarial drugs – part icularly t o vulnerable people such
as pregnant women and young children.[56]

Bet ween 1990 and 2010, WHO's help has cont ribut ed t o a 40% decline in t he number of deat hs
from t uberculosis, and since 2005, over 46 million people have been t reat ed and an est imat ed
7 million lives saved t hrough pract ices advocat ed by WHO. These include engaging nat ional
government s and t heir financing, early diagnosis, st andardising t reat ment , monit oring of t he
spread and effect of t uberculosis, and st abilising t he drug supply. It has also recognized t he
vulnerabilit y of vict ims of HIV/AIDS t o t uberculosis.[57]

In 1988, WHO launched t he Global Polio Eradicat ion Init iat ive t o eradicat e polio.[58] It has also
been successful in helping t o reduce cases by 99% since WHO part nered wit h Rot ary
Int ernat ional, t he US Cent ers for Disease Cont rol and Prevent ion (CDC), t he Unit ed Nat ions
Children's Fund (UNICEF), and smaller organizat ions. As of 2011, it has been working t o immunize
young children and prevent t he re-emergence of cases in count ries declared "polio-free".[59] In
2017, a st udy was conduct ed as t o why Polio Vaccines may not be enough t o eradicat e t he Virus
& conduct new t echnology. Polio is now on t he verge of ext inct ion, t hanks t o a Global
Vaccinat ion Drive. t he World Healt h Organizat ion (WHO) st at ed t he eradicat ion programme has
saved millions from deadly disease.

In 2007, t he WHO organized work on pandemic influenza vaccine development t hrough clinical
t rials in collaborat ion wit h many expert s and healt h officials.[60] A pandemic involving t he H1N1
influenza virus was declared by t he t hen direct or-general Margaret Chan in April 2009.[61] Margret
Chan declared in 2010 t hat t he H1N1 has moved int o t he post -pandemic period.[62] By t he post -
pandemic period crit ics claimed t he WHO had exaggerat ed t he danger, spreading "fear and
confusion" rat her t han "immediat e informat ion".[63] Indust ry expert s count ered t hat t he 2009
pandemic had led t o "unprecedent ed collaborat ion bet ween global healt h aut horit ies, scient ist s
and manufact urers, result ing in t he most comprehensive pandemic response ever undert aken,
wit h a number of vaccines approved for use t hree mont hs aft er t he pandemic declarat ion. This
response was only possible because of t he ext ensive preparat ions undert aken during t he last
decade".[64]

Non-communicable diseases

One of t he t hirt een WHO priorit y areas is aimed at t he prevent ion and reduct ion of "disease,
disabilit y and premat ure deat hs from chronic noncommunicable diseases, ment al disorders,
violence and injuries, and visual impairment which are collect ively responsible for almost 71% of
all deat hs worldwide".[50][65][66] The Division of Noncommunicable Diseases for Promot ing Healt h
t hrough t he Reproduct ive Healt h has published t he magazine, Entre Nous, across Europe since
1983.[67]

WHO is mandat ed under t wo of t he int ernat ional drug cont rol convent ions (Single Convent ion on
Narcot ic Drugs, 1961 and Convent ion on Psychot ropic Subst ances, 1971) t o carry out scient ific
assessment s of subst ances for int ernat ional drug cont rol. Through t he WHO Expert Commit t ee
on Drug Dependence (ECDD), it can recommend changes t o scheduling of subst ances t o t he
Unit ed Nat ions Commission on Narcot ic Drugs.[68] The ECDD is in charge of evaluat ing "t he
impact of psychoact ive subst ances on public healt h" and "t heir dependence producing
propert ies and pot ent ial harm t o healt h, as well as considering t heir pot ent ial medical benefit s
and t herapeut ic applicat ions."[69]

Environmental health

The WHO est imat es t hat 12.6 million people died as a result of living or working in an unhealt hy
environment in 2012 – t his account s for nearly 1 in 4 of t ot al global deat hs. Environment al risk
fact ors, such as air, wat er, and soil pollut ion, chemical exposures, climat e change, and ult raviolet
radiat ion, cont ribut e t o more t han 100 diseases and injuries. This can result in a number of
pollut ion-relat ed diseases.

2018 (30 Oct ober – 1 November) : 1 WHO's first global conference on air pollut ion and healt h
(Improving air quality, combatting climate change – saving lives) ; organized in collaborat ion
 wit h UN Environment , World Met eorological Organizat ion (WMO), and t he secret ariat of t he UN
Framework Convent ion on Climat e Change (UNFCCC)[70]
Life course and life style

WHO works t o "reduce morbidit y and mort alit y and improve healt h during key st ages of life,
including pregnancy, childbirt h, t he neonat al period, childhood and adolescence, and improve
sexual and reproduct ive healt h and promot e act ive and healt hy aging for all
individuals".[50]: 39–45 [71]

It also t ries t o prevent or reduce risk fact ors for "healt h condit ions associat ed wit h use of
t obacco, alcohol, drugs and ot her psychoact ive subst ances, unhealt hy diet s and physical
inact ivit y and unsafe sex".[50]: 50–55 [72][73]

The WHO works t o improve nut rit ion, food safet y and food securit y and t o ensure t his has a
posit ive effect on public healt h and sust ainable development .[50]: 66–71 

In April 2019, t he WHO released new recommendat ions st at ing t hat children bet ween t he ages
of t wo and five should spend no more t han one hour per day engaging in sedent ary behavior in
front of a screen and t hat children under t wo should not be permit t ed any sedent ary screen
t ime.[74]

Surgery and trauma care

The World Healt h Organizat ion promot es road safet y as a means t o reduce t raffic-relat ed
injuries.[75] It has also worked on global init iat ives in surgery, including emergency and essent ial
surgical care,[76] t rauma care,[77] and safe surgery.[78] The WHO Surgical Safet y Checklist is in
current use worldwide in t he effort t o improve pat ient safet y.[79]

Emergency work

The World Healt h Organizat ion's primary object ive in nat ural and man-made emergencies is t o
coordinat e wit h member st at es and ot her st akeholders t o "reduce avoidable loss of life and t he
burden of disease and disabilit y."[50]: 46–49 

On 5 May 2014, WHO announced t hat t he spread of polio was a world healt h emergency –
out breaks of t he disease in Asia, Africa, and t he Middle East were considered
"ext raordinary".[80][81]
On 8 August 2014, WHO declared t hat t he spread of Ebola was a public healt h emergency; an
out break which was believed t o have st art ed in Guinea had spread t o ot her nearby count ries such
as Liberia and Sierra Leone. The sit uat ion in West Africa was considered very serious.[82]

Reform effort s following t he Ebola out break

Following t he 2014 Ebola out break in West Africa, t he organizat ion was heavily crit icized for it s
bureaucracy, insufficient financing, regional st ruct ure, and st affing profile.[83]

An int ernal WHO report on t he Ebola response point ed t o underfunding and t he lack of "core
capacit y" in healt h syst ems in developing count ries as t he primary weaknesses of t he exist ing
syst em. At t he annual World Healt h Assembly in 2015, Direct or-General Margaret Chan
announced a $100 million Cont ingency Fund for rapid response t o fut ure emergencies,[84][85] of
which it had received $26.9 million by April 2016 (for 2017 disbursement ). WHO has budget ed an
addit ional $494 million for it s Healt h Emergencies Programme in 2016–17, for which it had
received $140 million by April 2016.[86]

The program was aimed at rebuilding WHO capacit y for direct act ion, which crit ics said had been
lost due t o budget cut s in t he previous decade t hat had left t he organizat ion in an advisory role
dependent on member st at es for on-t he-ground act ivit ies. In comparison, billions of dollars have
been spent by developed count ries on t he 2013–2016 Ebola epidemic and 2015–16 Zika
epidemic.[87]

Response t o t he COVID-19 pandemic

The WHO creat ed an Incident Management Support Team on 1 January 2020, one day aft er
Chinese healt h aut horit ies not ified t he organizat ion of a clust er of pneumonia cases of unknown
et iology.[88][89][90] On 5 January t he WHO not ified all member st at es of t he out break,[91] and in
subsequent days provided guidance t o all count ries on how t o respond,[91] and confirmed t he
first infect ion out side China.[92] On 14 January 2020, t he WHO announced t hat preliminary
invest igat ions conduct ed by Chinese aut horit ies had found no clear evidence of human-t o-human
t ransmission of t he novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) ident ified in Wuhan.[93] The same day, t he
organizat ion warned of limit ed human-t o-human t ransmission, and confirmed human-t o-human
t ransmission one week lat er.[94][95][96] On 30 January t he WHO declared a Public Healt h
Emergency of Int ernat ional Concern (PHEIC),[97][98][99] considered a "call t o act ion" and "last
resort " measure for t he int ernat ional communit y and a pandemic on 11 March.[100]
While organizing t he global response t o t he COVID-19 pandemic and overseeing "more t han 35
emergency operat ions" for cholera, measles and ot her epidemics int ernat ionally,[88] t he WHO has
been crit icized for praising China's public healt h response t o t he crisis while seeking t o maint ain a
"diplomat ic balancing act " bet ween t he Unit ed St at es and China.[90][101][102][103] David L.
Heymann, professor of infect ious disease epidemiology at t he London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine, said t hat "China has been very t ransparent and open in sharing it s dat a... and
t hey opened up all of t heir files wit h t he WHO present ."[104]

The WHO faced crit icism from t he Unit ed St at es' Trump administ rat ion while "guid[ing] t he world
in how t o t ackle t he deadly" COVID-19 pandemic.[88] On 14 April 2020, Unit ed St at es president
Donald Trump said t hat he would halt Unit ed St at es funding t o t he WHO while reviewing it s role
in "severely mismanaging and covering up t he spread of t he coronavirus."[105] World leaders and
healt h expert s largely condemned President Trump's announcement , which came amid crit icism
of his response t o t he out break in t he Unit ed St at es.[106] WHO called t he announcement
"regret t able" and defended it s act ions in alert ing t he world t o t he emergence of COVID-19.[107]
On 8 May 2020, t he Unit ed St at es blocked a vot e on a U.N. Securit y Council resolut ion aimed at
promot ing nonviolent int ernat ional cooperat ion during t he pandemic, and ment ioning t he
WHO.[108] On 7 July 2020, President Trump formally not ified t he UN of his int ent t o wit hdraw t he
Unit ed St at es from t he WHO.[109] However, Trump's successor, President Joe Biden, canceled
t he planned wit hdrawal and announced in January 2021 t hat t he U.S. would resume funding t he
organizat ion.[110][111][112]

Health policy

WHO addresses government healt h policy wit h t wo aims: first ly, "t o address t he underlying social
and economic det erminant s of healt h t hrough policies and programmes t hat enhance healt h
equit y and int egrat e pro-poor, gender-responsive, and human right s-based approaches" and
secondly "t o promot e a healt hier environment , int ensify primary prevent ion and influence public
policies in all sect ors so as t o address t he root causes of environment al t hreat s t o
healt h".[50]: 61–65 

The organizat ion develops and promot es t he use of evidence-based t ools, norms and st andards
t o support member st at es t o inform healt h policy opt ions. It oversees t he implement at ion of
t he Int ernat ional Healt h Regulat ions, and publishes a series of medical classificat ions; of t hese,
t hree are over-reaching "reference classificat ions": t he Int ernat ional St at ist ical Classificat ion of
Diseases (ICD), t he Int ernat ional Classificat ion of Funct ioning, Disabilit y and Healt h (ICF) and t he
Int ernat ional Classificat ion of Healt h Int ervent ions (ICHI).[113] Ot her int ernat ional policy
frameworks produced by WHO include t he Int ernat ional Code of Market ing of Breast -milk
Subst it ut es (adopt ed in 1981),[114] Framework Convent ion on Tobacco Cont rol (adopt ed in
2003)[115] t he Global Code of Pract ice on t he Int ernat ional Recruit ment of Healt h Personnel
(adopt ed in 2010)[116] as well as t he WHO Model List of Essent ial Medicines and it s pediat ric
count erpart . An int ernat ional convent ion on pandemic prevent ion and preparedness is being
act ively considered.[117]

In t erms of healt h services, WHO looks t o improve "governance, financing, st affing and
management " and t he availabilit y and qualit y of evidence and research t o guide policy. It also
st rives t o "ensure improved access, qualit y and use of medical product s and
t echnologies".[50]: 72–83  WHO – working wit h donor agencies and nat ional government s – can
improve t heir report ing about use of research evidence.[118]

Digital Health

On Digit al Healt h t opics, WHO has exist ing Int er-Agency collaborat ion wit h t he Int ernat ional
Telecommunicat ion Union (t he UN Specialized Agency for ICT), including t he Be Healt h, Be
Mobile init iat e and t he ITU-WHO Focus Group on Art ificial Int elligence for Healt h.

Governance and support

The remaining t wo of WHO's t hirt een ident ified policy areas relat e t o t he role of WHO
it self:[50]: 84–91 

"t o provide leadership, st rengt hen governance and fost er part nership and collaborat ion wit h
count ries, t he Unit ed Nat ions syst em, and ot her st akeholders in order t o fulfill t he mandat e of
WHO in advancing t he global healt h agenda"; and

"t o develop and sust ain WHO as a flexible, learning organizat ion, enabling it t o carry out it s
mandat e more efficient ly and effect ively".
Partnerships

The WHO along wit h t he World Bank const it ut e t he core t eam responsible for administ ering t he
Int ernat ional Healt h Part nership (IHP+). The IHP+ is a group of part ner government s,
development agencies, civil societ y, and ot hers commit t ed t o improving t he healt h of cit izens in
developing count ries. Part ners work t oget her t o put int ernat ional principles for aid effect iveness
and development co-operat ion int o pract ice in t he healt h sect or.[119]
The organizat ion relies on cont ribut ions from renowned scient ist s and professionals t o inform it s
work, such as t he WHO Expert Commit t ee on Biological St andardizat ion,[120] t he WHO Expert
Commit t ee on Leprosy,[121] and t he WHO St udy Group on Int erprofessional Educat ion &
Collaborat ive Pract ice.[122]

WHO runs t he Alliance for Healt h Policy and Syst ems Research, t arget ed at improving healt h
policy and syst ems.[123]

WHO also aims t o improve access t o healt h research and lit erat ure in developing count ries such
as t hrough t he HINARI net work.[124]

WHO collaborat es wit h The Global Fund t o Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNITAID, and
t he Unit ed St at es President 's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief [125] t o spearhead and fund t he
development of HIV programs.

WHO creat ed t he Civil Societ y Reference Group on HIV,[125] which brings t oget her ot her
net works t hat are involved in policymaking and t he disseminat ion of guidelines.

WHO, a sect or of t he Unit ed Nat ions, part ners wit h UNAIDS [125] t o cont ribut e t o t he
development of HIV responses in different areas of t he world.

WHO facilit at es t echnical part nerships t hrough t he Technical Advisory Commit t ee on HIV,[126]
which t hey creat ed t o develop WHO guidelines and policies.

In 2014, WHO released t he Global Atlas of Palliative Care at the End of Life in a joint publicat ion
wit h t he Worldwide Hospice Palliat ive Care Alliance, an affiliat ed NGO working collaborat ively
wit h t he WHO t o promot e palliat ive care in nat ional and int ernat ional healt h policy.[127][128]

Public health education and action

Each year, t he organizat ion marks World Healt h Day and ot her observances focusing on a specific
healt h promot ion t opic. World Healt h Day falls on 7 April each year, t imed t o mat ch t he
anniversary of WHO's founding. Recent t hemes have been vect or-borne diseases (2014), healt hy
ageing (2012) and drug resist ance (2011).[129]

The ot her official global public healt h campaigns marked by WHO are World Tuberculosis Day,
World Immunizat ion Week, World Malaria Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Blood Donor Day,
World Hepat it is Day, and World AIDS Day.
As part of t he Unit ed Nat ions, t he World Healt h Organizat ion support s work t owards t he
Millennium Development Goals.[130] Of t he eight Millennium Development Goals, t hree – reducing
child mort alit y by t wo-t hirds, t o reduce mat ernal deat hs by t hree-quart ers, and t o halt and begin
t o reduce t he spread of HIV/AIDS – relat e direct ly t o t he WHO's scope; t he ot her five int er-
relat e and affect world healt h.[131]

Data handling and publications

The World Healt h Organizat ion works t o provide t he needed healt h and well-being evidence
t hrough a variet y of dat a collect ion plat forms, including t he World Healt h Survey covering almost
400,000 respondent s from 70 count ries,[132] and t he Study on Global Aging and Adult Health
(SAGE) covering over 50,000 persons over 50 years old in 23 count ries.[133] The Count ry Healt h
Int elligence Port al (CHIP), has also been developed t o provide an access point t o informat ion
about t he healt h services t hat are available in different count ries.[134] The informat ion gat hered
in t his port al is used by t he count ries t o set priorit ies for fut ure st rat egies or plans, implement ,
monit or, and evaluat e it .

The WHO has published various t ools for measuring and monit oring t he capacit y of nat ional
healt h syst ems[135] and healt h workforces.[136] The Global Healt h Observat ory (GHO) has been
t he WHO's main port al which provides access t o dat a and analyses for key healt h t hemes by
monit oring healt h sit uat ions around t he globe.[137]

The WHO Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS), t he WHO Quality of
Life Instrument (WHOQOL), and t he Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA)
provide guidance for dat a collect ion.[138] Collaborat ive effort s bet ween WHO and ot her
agencies, such as t hrough t he Healt h Met rics Net work, also aim t o provide sufficient high-qualit y
informat ion t o assist government al decision making.[139] WHO promot es t he development of
capacit ies in member st at es t o use and produce research t hat addresses t heir nat ional needs,
including t hrough t he Evidence-Informed Policy Net work (EVIPNet ).[140] The Pan American
Healt h Organizat ion (PAHO/AMRO) became t he first region t o develop and pass a policy on
research for healt h approved in Sept ember 2009.[141]

On 10 December 2013, a new WHO dat abase, known as MiNDbank, went online. The dat abase
was launched on Human Right s Day, and is part of WHO's Qualit yRight s init iat ive, which aims t o
end human right s violat ions against people wit h ment al healt h condit ions. The new dat abase
present s a great deal of informat ion about ment al healt h, subst ance abuse, disabilit y, human
right s, and t he different policies, st rat egies, laws, and service st andards being implement ed in
different count ries.[142] It also cont ains import ant int ernat ional document s and informat ion. The
dat abase allows visit ors t o access t he healt h informat ion of WHO member st at es and ot her
part ners. Users can review policies, laws, and st rat egies and search for t he best pract ices and
success st ories in t he field of ment al healt h.[142]

The WHO regularly publishes a World Health Report, it s leading publicat ion, including an expert
assessment of a specific global healt h t opic.[143] Ot her publicat ions of WHO include t he Bulletin
of the World Health Organization,[144] t he Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal (overseen by
EMRO),[145] t he Human Resources for Health (published in collaborat ion wit h BioMed Cent ral),[146]
and t he Pan American Journal of Public Health (overseen by PAHO/AMRO).[147]

In 2016, t he World Healt h Organizat ion draft ed a global healt h sect or st rat egy on HIV. In t he
draft , t he World Healt h Organizat ion out lines it s commit ment t o ending t he AIDS epidemic by
2030[148] wit h int erim t arget s for t he year 2020. To make achievement s t owards t hese t arget s,
t he draft list s act ions t hat count ries and t he WHO can t ake, such as a commit ment t o universal
healt h coverage, medical accessibilit y, prevent ion and eradicat ion of disease, and effort s t o
educat e t he public. Some not able point s made in t he draft include addressing gender inequit y
where females are nearly t wice as likely as men t o get infect ed wit h HIV and t ailoring resources
t o mobilized regions where t he healt h syst em may be compromised due t o nat ural disast ers, et c.
Among t he point s made, it seems clear t hat alt hough t he prevalence of HIV t ransmission is
declining, t here is st ill a need for resources, healt h educat ion, and global effort s t o end t his
epidemic.

The WHO has a Framework Convent ion on Tobacco implement at ion dat abase which is one of t he
few mechanisms t o help enforce compliance wit h t he FCTC.[149] However, t here have been
report s of numerous discrepancies bet ween it and nat ional implement at ion report s on which it
was built . As researchers Hoffman and Rizvi report "As of July 4, 2012, 361 (32·7%) of 1104
count ries' responses were misreport ed: 33 (3·0%) were clear errors (e.g., dat abase indicat ed 'yes'
when report indicat ed 'no'), 270 (24·5%) were missing despit e count ries having submit t ed
responses, and 58 (5·3%) were, in our opinion, misint erpret ed by WHO st aff".[150]

WHO has been moving t oward accept ance and int egrat ion of t radit ional medicine and t radit ional
Chinese medicine (TCM). In 2022, t he new Int ernat ional St at ist ical Classificat ion of Diseases and
Relat ed Healt h Problems, ICD-11, will at t empt t o enable classificat ions from t radit ional
medicine t o be int egrat ed wit h classificat ions from evidence-based medicine. Though Chinese
aut horit ies have pushed for t he change, t his and ot her support of t he WHO for t radit ional
medicine has been crit icized by t he medical and scient ific communit y, due t o lack of evidence
and t he risk of endangering wildlife hunt ed for t radit ional remedies.[151][152][153] A WHO
spokesman said t hat t he inclusion was "not an endorsement of t he scient ific validit y of any
Tradit ional Medicine pract ice or t he efficacy of any Tradit ional Medicine int ervent ion."[152]

International Agency for Research on Cancer

The WHO sub-depart ment , t he Int ernat ional Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), conduct s
and coordinat es research int o t he causes of cancer.[154] It also collect s and publishes
surveillance dat a regarding t he occurrence of cancer worldwide.[155]

It s Monographs Programme ident ifies carcinogenic hazards and evaluat es environment al causes
of cancer in humans.[156][157]

Structure

The World Healt h Organizat ion is a member of t he Unit ed Nat ions Development Group.[158]

Membership

Countries by World Health Organization membership status

As of January 2021, t he WHO has 194 member st at es: all member st at es of t he Unit ed Nat ions
except for Liecht enst ein (192 count ries), plus t he Cook Islands and Niue.[159][160] A st at e
becomes a full member of WHO by rat ifying t he t reat y known as t he Const it ut ion of t he World
Healt h Organizat ion. As of May 2019 and January 2021, it also had t wo associat e members,
Puert o Rico and Tokelau.[161][160] The WHO t wo-year budget for 2022–2023 is paid by it s 194
members and 2 associat e members.[160] Several ot her count ries have been grant ed observer
st at us. Palest ine is an observer as a "nat ional liberat ion movement " recognized by t he League of
Arab St at es under Unit ed Nat ions Resolut ion 3118. The Sovereign Milit ary Order of Malt a (or
Order of Malta) also at t ends on an observer basis. The Holy See at t ends as an observer, and it s
part icipat ion as "non-Member St at e Observer" was formalized by an Assembly resolut ion in
2021.[162][163] The government of Taiwan was allowed t o part icipat e under t he designat ion
"Chinese Taipei" as an observer from 2009 t o 2016, but has not been invit ed again since.[164]

WHO member st at es appoint delegat ions t o t he World Healt h Assembly, t he WHO's supreme
decision-making body. All UN member st at es are eligible for WHO membership, and, according t o
t he WHO websit e, "ot her count ries may be admit t ed as members when t heir applicat ion has been
approved by a simple majorit y vot e of t he World Healt h Assembly".[159] The World Healt h
Assembly is at t ended by delegat ions from all member st at es, and det ermines t he policies of t he
organizat ion.

The execut ive board is composed of members t echnically qualified in healt h and gives effect t o
t he decisions and policies of t he World Healt h Assembly. In addit ion, t he UN observer
organizat ions Int ernat ional Commit t ee of t he Red Cross and Int ernat ional Federat ion of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societ ies have ent ered int o "official relat ions" wit h WHO and are invit ed
as observers. In t he World Healt h Assembly, t hey are seat ed alongside t he ot her NGOs.[163]

Membership and participation of the Republic of China

The Republic of China (ROC), which cont rolled mainland China from 1912 t o 1949 and current ly
governs Taiwan since 1945 following World War II, was t he founding member of WHO since it s
incept ion had represent ed "China" in t he organizat ion, but t he represent at ion was changed t o t he
People's Republic of China (PRC), est ablished in 1949 by t he Chinese Communist Part y (CCP), in
1971 t hat expelled t he ROC from bot h WHO and t he UN organs. Since t hat t ime, per t he One-
China policy, bot h t he ROC and PRC lay claim sovereignt y t o each ot her's t errit ory.[165][166]

In May 2009, t he Depart ment of Healt h of t he Republic of China was invit ed by t he WHO t o
at t end t he 62nd World Healt h Assembly as an observer under t he name "Chinese Taipei". This
was t he ROC's first part icipat ion at WHO meet ings since 1971, as a result of t he improved cross-
st rait relat ions since Ma Ying-jeou became t he president of t he Republic of China a year
before.[167] It s part icipat ion wit h WHO ended due t o diplomat ic pressure from t he PRC following
t he elect ion in 2016 t hat brought t he independence-minded Democrat ic Progressive Part y back
int o power.[168]

Polit ical pressure from t he PRC has led t o t he ROC being barred from membership of t he WHO
and ot her UN-affiliat ed organizat ions, and in 2017 t o 2020 t he WHO refused t o allow Taiwanese
delegat es t o at t end t he WHO annual assembly.[169] According t o Taiwanese publicat ion The
News Lens, on mult iple occasions Taiwanese journalist s have been denied access t o report on
t he assembly.[170]

In May 2018, t he WHO denied access t o it s annual assembly by Taiwanese media, report edly due
t o demands from t he PRC.[171] Lat er in May 172 members of t he Unit ed St at es House of
Represent at ives wrot e t o t he direct or-general of t he World Healt h Organizat ion t o argue for
Taiwan's inclusion as an observer at t he WHA.[172] The Unit ed St at es, Japan, Germany, and
Aust ralia all support Taiwan's inclusion in WHO.[173]

Pressure t o allow t he ROC t o part icipat e in WHO increased as a result of t he COVID-19

pandemic wit h Taiwan's exclusion from emergency meet ings concerning t he out break bringing a
rare unit ed front from Taiwan's diverse polit ical part ies. Taiwan's main opposit ion part y, t he
Kuomint ang (KMT, Chinese Nat ionalist Part y), expressed t heir anger at being excluded arguing
t hat disease respect s neit her polit ics nor geography. China once again dismissed concerns over
Taiwanese inclusion wit h t he foreign minist er claiming t hat no-one cares more about t he healt h
and wellbeing of t he Taiwanese people t han cent ral government of t he PRC.[174] During t he
out break Canadian Prime Minist er Just in Trudeau[175] voiced his support for Taiwan's part icipat ion
in WHO, as did Japanese Prime Minist er Shinzo Abe.[168] In January 2020 t he European Union, a
WHO observer, backed Taiwan's part icipat ion in WHO meet ings relat ed t o t he coronavirus
pandemic as well as t heir general part icipat ion.[176]

In a 2020 int erview, Assist ant Direct or-General Bruce Aylward appeared t o dodge a quest ion
from RTHK report er Yvonne Tong about Taiwan's response t o t he pandemic and inclusion in t he
WHO, blaming int ernet connect ion issues.[177] When t he video chat was rest art ed, he was asked
anot her quest ion about Taiwan. He responded by indicat ing t hat t hey had already discussed
China and formally ended t he int erview.[178] This incident led t o accusat ions about t he PRC's
polit ical influence over t he int ernat ional organizat ion.[179][180]

Taiwan's effect ive response t o t he 2019–20 COVID-19 pandemic has bolst ered it s case for
WHO membership. Taiwan's response t o t he out break has been praised by a number of
expert s.[181][182] In early May 2020, New Zealand Foreign Minist er Winst on Pet ers expressed
support for t he ROC's bid t o rejoin t he WHO during a media conference.[183][184] The New Zealand
Government subsequent ly support ing Taiwan's bid t o join t he WHO, put t ing NZ alongside
Aust ralia and t he Unit ed St at es who have t aken similar posit ions.[185][186]

On 9 May, Congressmen Eliot Engel, t he Democrat ic chairman of t he Unit ed St at es House

Commit t ee on Foreign Affairs, Michael McCaul, t he House Commit t ee's ranking Republican
member, Senat or Jim Risch, t he Republican chairman of t he Unit ed St at es Senat e Commit t ee on
Foreign Relat ions, and Senat or Bob Menendez, t he Senat e Commit t ee's ranking Democrat ic
member, submit t ed a joint let t er t o nearly 60 "like-minded" count ries including Canada, Thailand,
Japan, Germany, t he Unit ed Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Aust ralia, urging t hem t o support ROC's
part icipat ion in t he World Healt h Organizat ion.[187][188]

In November 2020, t he word "Taiwan" was blocked in comment s on a livest ream on t he WHO's
Facebook page.[189]

World Health Assembly and Executive Board

WHO Headquarters in Geneva

The World Healt h Assembly (WHA) is t he legislat ive and supreme body of WHO. Based in Geneva,
it t ypically meet s yearly in May. It appoint s t he direct or-general every five years and vot es on
mat t ers of policy and finance of WHO, including t he proposed budget . It also reviews report s of
t he execut ive board and decides whet her t here are areas of work requiring furt her examinat ion.

The Assembly elect s 34 members, t echnically qualified in t he field of healt h, t o t he execut ive
board for t hree-year t erms. The main funct ions of t he board are t o carry out t he decisions and
policies of t he Assembly, t o advise it , and t o facilit at e it s work.[190] As of May 2021, t he chairman
of t he execut ive board is Dr. Pat rick Amot h of Kenya.[191]

Director-General

The head of t he organizat ion is t he direct or-general, elect ed by t he World Healt h Assembly.[192]
The t erm last s for five years, and direct ors-general are t ypically appoint ed in May, when t he
Assembly meet s. The current direct or-general is Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was
appoint ed on 1 July 2017.[193]

Global institutions

Apart from regional, count ry, and liaison offices, t he World Healt h Assembly has also est ablished
ot her inst it ut ions for promot ing and carrying on research.[194]

Int ernat ional Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)[195]

Regional offices

Map of the WHO's regional offices and their respective operating regions.
   Africa; HQ: Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
   Western Pacific; HQ: Manila, Philippines
   Eastern Mediterranean; HQ: Cairo, Egypt
   South East Asia; HQ: New Delhi, India
   Europe; HQ: Copenhagen, Denmark
   Americas; HQ: Washington, D.C., US

The regional divisions of WHO were creat ed bet ween 1949 and 1952, following t he model of t he
pre-exist ing Pan American Healt h Organizat ion,[196] and are based on art icle 44 of t he WHO's
const it ut ion, which allowed t he WHO t o "est ablish a [single] regional organizat ion t o meet t he
special needs of [each defined] area". Many decisions are made at t he regional level, including
import ant discussions over WHO's budget , and in deciding t he members of t he next assembly,
which are designat ed by t he regions.[197]

Each region has a regional commit t ee, which generally meet s once a year, normally in t he aut umn.
Represent at ives at t end from each member or associat ive member in each region, including t hose
st at es t hat are not full members. For example, Palest ine at t ends meet ings of t he East ern
Medit erranean Regional Office. Each region also has a regional office.[197] Each regional office is
headed by a direct or, who is elect ed by t he Regional Commit t ee. The board must approve such
appoint ment s, alt hough as of 2004, it had never over-ruled t he preference of a regional
commit t ee. The exact role of t he board in t he process has been a subject of debat e, but t he
pract ical effect has always been small.[197] Since 1999, regional direct ors serve for a once-
renewable five-year t erm, and t ypically t ake t heir posit ion on 1 February.[198]

Each regional commit t ee of t he WHO consist s of all t he Healt h Depart ment heads, in all t he
government s of t he count ries t hat const it ut e t he Region. Aside from elect ing t he regional
direct or, t he regional commit t ee is also in charge of set t ing t he guidelines for t he
implement at ion, wit hin t he region, of t he healt h and ot her policies adopt ed by t he World Healt h
Assembly. The regional commit t ee also serves as a progress review board for t he act ions of
WHO wit hin t he Region.

The regional direct or is effect ively t he head of WHO for his or her region. The RD manages
and/or supervises a st aff of healt h and ot her expert s at t he regional offices and in specialized
cent res. The RD is also t he direct supervising aut horit y – concomit ant ly wit h t he WHO Direct or-
General – of all t he heads of WHO count ry offices, known as WHO Represent at ives, wit hin t he
region.

The st rong posit ion of t he regional offices has been crit icized in WHO hist ory for undermining it s
effect iveness and led t o unsuccessful at t empt s t o int egrat e t hem more st rongly wit hin 'One
WHO'.[196] Disease specific programmes such as t he smallpox eradicat ion programme [199] or t he
1980s Global Programme on AIDS [200] were set up wit h more direct , vert ical st ruct ures t hat
bypassed t he regional offices.
Regional offices of WHO
Region Headquarters Notes Website

AFRO includes most of Africa, wit h t he except ion of AFRO (h

Brazzaville, Egypt , Sudan, Djibout i, Tunisia, Libya, Somalia and t t p://w
Africa Republic of Morocco (all fall under EMRO).[201] The regional ww.afro.
t he Congo direct or is Mat shidiso Moet i, a Bot swana nat ional. who.in
(Tenure: 2015 – present ).[202] t)

EURO (h
EURO includes all of Europe (except Liecht enst ein),
t t ps://w
Copenhagen, Israel, and all of t he former USSR.[203] The regional
Europe ww.euro.
Denmark direct or is Hans Kluge, a Belgian nat ional (Tenure:
who.in
2020 – present ).[204]
t /en)

SEARO
Nort h Korea is served by SEARO.[205] The regional (ht t p://
Sout h-East New Delhi,
direct or is Poonam Khet rapal Singh, an Indian nat ional www.se
Asia India
(Tenure: 2014 – present ).[206] aro.wh
o.int )

The East ern Medit erranean Regional Office serves

EMRO (h
t he count ries of Africa t hat are not included in AFRO,
t t p://w
East ern as well as all count ries in t he Middle East except for
Cairo, Egypt ww.emr
Medit erranean Israel. Pakist an is served by EMRO.[207] The regional
o.who.i
direct or is Ahmed Al-Mandhari, an Omani nat ional
nt )
(Tenure: 2018 – present ).[208]

WPRO covers all t he Asian count ries not served by WPRO

SEARO and EMRO, and all t he count ries in Oceania. (ht t p://
West ern Manila, t he
Sout h Korea is served by WPRO.[209] The regional www.wp
Pacific Philippines
direct or is Shin Young-soo, a Sout h Korean nat ional ro.wh
(Tenure: 2009 – present ).[210] o.int )

Also known as t he Pan American Healt h Organizat ion AMRO

Washingt on,
(PAHO), and covers t he Americas.[211] The WHO (ht t p://
The Americas D.C., Unit ed
regional direct or is Carissa F. Et ienne, a Dominican www.pa
St at es
nat ional (Tenure: 2013 – present ).[212] ho.org)

Employees
The WHO employs 7,000 people in 149 count ries and regions t o carry out it s principles.[213] In
support of t he principle of a t obacco-free work environment , t he WHO does not recruit
cigaret t e smokers.[214] The organizat ion has previously inst igat ed t he Framework Convent ion on
Tobacco Cont rol in 2003.[215]

Goodwill Ambassadors

The WHO operat es "Goodwill Ambassadors"; members of t he art s, sport s, or ot her fields of
public life aimed at drawing at t ent ion t o t he WHO's init iat ives and project s. There are current ly
five Goodwill Ambassadors (Jet Li, Nancy Brinker, Peng Liyuan, Yohei Sasakawa and t he Vienna
Philharmonic Orchest ra) and a furt her ambassador associat ed wit h a part nership project (Craig
David).[216]

On 21 Oct ober 2017, t he direct or-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appoint ed t he t hen
Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe as a WHO Goodwill Ambassador t o help promot e t he
fight against non-communicable diseases. The appoint ment address praised Mugabe for his
commit ment t o public healt h in Zimbabwe. The appoint ment at t ract ed widespread
condemnat ion and crit icism in WHO member st at es and int ernat ional organizat ions due t o Robert
Mugabe's poor record on human right s and presiding over a decline in Zimbabwe's public
healt h.[217][218] Due t o t he out cry, t he following day t he appoint ment was revoked.[219]

Medical Society of the World Health Organization

Since t he beginning,[220] t he WHO has had t he Medical Society of the World Health Organization. It
has conduct ed lect ures by not ed researchers and published findings,
recommendat ions.[221][222][223][224][225][226][227][228] The founder, Dr. S. William A. Gunn[229] has been
it s president .[230] In 1983, Murray Eden was awarded t he WHO Medical Society medal, for his work
as consult ant on research and development for WHO's direct or-general.[231]

Country and liaison offices

The World Healt h Organizat ion operat es 150 count ry offices in six different regions.[232] It also
operat es several liaison offices, including t hose wit h t he European Union, Unit ed Nat ions and a
single office covering t he World Bank and Int ernat ional Monet ary Fund. It also operat es t he
Int ernat ional Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, and t he WHO Cent re for Healt h
Development in Kobe, Japan.[233] Addit ional offices include t hose in Prist ina; t he West Bank and
Gaza; t he US-Mexico Border Field Office in El Paso; t he Office of t he Caribbean Program
Coordinat ion in Barbados; and t he Nort hern Micronesia office.[234] There will generally be one
WHO count ry office in t he capit al, occasionally accompanied by sat ellit e-offices in t he provinces
or sub-regions of t he count ry in quest ion.

The count ry office is headed by a WHO Represent at ive (WR). As of 2010, t he only WHO
Represent at ive out side Europe t o be a nat ional of t hat count ry was for t he Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya ("Libya"); all ot her st aff was int ernat ional. WHO Represent at ives in t he Region t ermed
t he Americas are referred t o as PAHO/WHO Represent at ives. In Europe, WHO Represent at ives
also serve as head of t he count ry office, and are nat ionals except for Serbia; t here are also heads
of t he count ry office in Albania, t he Russian Federat ion, Tajikist an, Turkey, and Uzbekist an.[234]
The WR is a member of t he UN syst em count ry t eam which is coordinat ed by t he UN Syst em
Resident Coordinat or.

The count ry office consist s of t he WR, and several healt h and ot her expert s, bot h foreign and
local, as well as t he necessary support st aff.[232] The main funct ions of WHO count ry offices
include being t he primary adviser of t hat count ry's government in mat t ers of healt h and
pharmaceut ical policies.[235]

Financing and partnerships

Present

The WHO is financed by cont ribut ions from member st at es and out side donors. As of 2020, t he
biggest cont ribut or is t he Unit ed St at es, which gives over $400 million annually.[236] U.S.
cont ribut ions t o t he WHO are funded t hrough t he U.S. St at e Depart ment 's account for
Cont ribut ions t o Int ernat ional Organizat ions (CIO). In 2018 t he largest cont ribut ors ($150+ each)
were t he Unit ed St at es, Bill & Melinda Gat es Foundat ion, Unit ed Kingdom, Germany and GAVI, t he
Vaccine Alliance.[237] The WHO Execut ive Board formed a Working Group on Sust ainable Financing
in 2021, charged t o ret hink WHO's funding st rat egy and present recommendat ions.[238] It s
recommendat ions were adopt ed by t he 2022 World Healt h Assembly.[239]

In April 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump, support ed by a group of members of his part y,[240]
announced t hat his administ rat ion would halt funding t o t he WHO.[241] Funds previously
earmarked for t he WHO were t o be held for 60–90 days pending an invest igat ion int o t he WHO's
handling of t he COVID-19 pandemic, part icularly in respect t o t he organizat ion's purport ed
relat ionship wit h China.[242] The announcement was immediat ely crit icized by world leaders
including Ant ónio Gut erres, t he secret ary general of t he Unit ed Nat ions; Heiko Maas, t he German
foreign minist er; and Moussa Faki Mahamat , African Union chairman.[236] During t he first t wo years
of t he pandemic, American funding of t he WHO declined by a quart er, alt hough it is expect ed t o
increase during 2022 and 2023.[243]

On 16 May 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump and his administ rat ion agreed t o pay up t o what
China pays in Assessed cont ribut ions, which is less t han about one-t ent h of it s previous funding.
Biennium 2018–2019 China paid in assessed cont ribut ions US$75,796K, in specified volunt ary
cont ribut ions US$10,184K, for a t ot al US$85,980K.[244][245]
Top 10 contributors (Biennium 2018–2019 updated until Q4-2019) M$
Voluntary Core
Assessed Total

No. Contributor contributions voluntary Share Source

contributions (Biennium)
specified contributions

Unit ed
1 St at es of 237 656 893 15.9% [246]

America

Bill & Melinda

2 Gat es 531 531 9.4% [247]

Foundat ion

Unit ed
Kingdom of
3 Great Brit ain 43 335 57 435 7.7% [248]

and Nort hern

Ireland

GAVI, t he
[249]
4 Vaccine 371 371 6.6%
Alliance

Federal
5 Republic of 61 231 292 5.2% [250]

Germany

6 Japan 93 122 214 3.8% [251]

Unit ed
Nat ions
Office for t he
[252]
7 Coordinat ion 192 192 3.4%
of
Humanit arian
Affairs

Rot ary [253]

8 143 143 2.5%
Int ernat ional
[254]
9 World Bank 133 133 2.4%

10 European 131 131 2.3% [255]

 Commission

Ot hers 524 1,484 103 2,289 40.7%

Total 957 4,328 161 5,624 100.0% [256]

Assessed contributions are t he dues t he Member St at es pay depending on t he st at es'

wealt h and populat ion

Voluntary contributions specified are funds for specific programme areas provided by t he
Member St at es or ot her part ners

Core voluntary contributions are funds for flexible uses provided by t he Member St at es or
ot her part ners
Past

At t he beginning of t he 21st cent ury, t he WHO's work involved increasing collaborat ion wit h
ext ernal bodies.[257] As of 2002, a t ot al of 473 non-government al organizat ions (NGO) had some
form of part nership wit h WHO. There were 189 part nerships wit h int ernat ional NGOs in formal
"official relat ions" – t he rest being considered informal in charact er.[258] Part ners include t he Bill
and Melinda Gat es Foundat ion[259] and t he Rockefeller Foundat ion.[260]

As of 2012, t he largest annual assessed cont ribut ions from member st at es came from t he
Unit ed St at es ($110 million), Japan ($58 million), Germany ($37 million), Unit ed Kingdom
($31 million) and France ($31 million).[261] The combined 2012–2013 budget proposed a t ot al
expendit ure of $3,959 million, of which $944 million (24%) will come from assessed cont ribut ions.
This represent ed a significant fall in out lay compared t o t he previous 2009–2010 budget ,
adjust ing t o t ake account of previous underspends. Assessed cont ribut ions were kept t he same.
Volunt ary cont ribut ions will account for $3,015 million (76%), of which $800 million is regarded as
highly or moderat ely flexible funding, wit h t he remainder t ied t o part icular programmes or
object ives.[262]

According t o The Associat ed Press, t he WHO rout inely spends about $200 million a year on
t ravel expenses, more t han it spends t o t ackle ment al healt h problems, HIV/AIDS, t uberculosis
and malaria combined. In 2016, Margaret Chan, direct or-general of WHO from January 2007 t o
June 2017,[263] st ayed in a $1000-per-night hot el room while visit ing West Africa.[264]

World headquarters
The seat of t he organizat ion is in Geneva, Swit zerland. It was designed by Swiss archit ect Jean
Tschumi and inaugurat ed in 1966.[265] In 2017, t he organizat ion launched an int ernat ional
compet it ion t o redesign and ext end it s headquart ers.[266]

Gallery of the WHO Headquarters Building

Stairwell, 1969

Internal courtyard, 1969

Reflecting pool, 1969

Exterior, 1969

From Southwest, 2013

 Entrance hall, 2013

Main conference room, 2013

See also

References

External links
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