World Health Organization
Overview
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that is concerned with international public health. It was established on 7 April 1948, and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The WHO is a member of the United Nations Development Group. Its predecessor, the Health Organization, was an agency of the League of Nations.
History
The constitution of the World Health Organization had been signed by all 61 countries of the United Nations by 22 July 1946, with the first meeting of the World Health Assembly finishing on 24 July 1948. It incorporated the Office International d'Hygiène Publique and the League of Nations Health Organization. Since its establishment, it has played a leading role in the eradication of smallpox. Its current priorities include communicable diseases, in particular, HIV/AIDS, Ebola, malaria and tuberculosis; the mitigation of the effects of non-communicable diseases; sexual and reproductive health, development, and aging; nutrition, food security, and healthy eating; occupational health; substance abuse; and driving the development of reporting, publications, and networking.
Structure
The World Health Organization is governed by two decision-making bodies: the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board. The Assembly is composed of delegates from Member States and meets annually in Geneva. The Executive Board is composed of members technically qualified in health and gives effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly.
Function
The main function of WHO is to direct and coordinate international health within the United Nations' system. These include 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, catalyzing change, and building sustainable institutional capacity; and monitoring the health situation and assessing health trends.
Criticism and Controversy
The World Health Organization has been subject to criticism and controversy in its existence. These include potential influence by member states' commercial interests, as well as handling of health crises such as the Ebola outbreak in 2014.