World Health Organization (WHO)

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations 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.

Pronunciation

English: /ˌwɜːrld hɛlθ ɔːrɡənaɪˈzeɪʃən/

Etymology

The term "World Health Organization" is a descriptive name that represents the organization's focus and mission. It is not derived from any specific language or culture but is easily understood in many languages.

Related Terms

Functions

The World Health Organization's primary role 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.

Structure

The World Health Organization operates through the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board. The Assembly is composed of representatives from WHO's member states and focuses on specific health agendas prepared by the Board. The main tasks of the Board are to implement the decisions and policies of the Assembly and facilitate its work.

Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski

World Health Organization (WHO)