World Health Organization (WHO)

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a branch of the United Nations that focuses on health and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Its official launch date was April 7, 1978. On April 7th, 1978, the day was officially designated World Health Day. It is a part of the UN but not subordinate to the UN. Unlike any of the other UN specialized organizations, the WHO has its own:

• Own constitution
• Own governing bodies
• Own membership &
• Own budget

Objectives of WHO

• The World Health Organization's (WHO) main objective is articulated in the document's introductory prologue. It is "the attainment by all peoples of the highest level of health".
• The well-talked objective of the WHO for the last century was "the attainment by all people of the world by the year 2000 AD of a level of health that will permit them to lead a socially &economically productive life".
• Often abbreviated as "Health for all (HFA) by the year Often abbreviated as "Health for all (HFA) by the year 2000 AD" 
• this initiative aimed to ensure that all people in the world had access to adequate health care, provide health information, and aid in the assessment, coordination, and planning of health care in the country in the year 2000.

Strategies Adopted

WHO's process for determining how the organization may best aid its Member States in fostering health-related infrastructure development is called the Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS). The present CCS covers the period, 2006-2011 with six priority components such as:

1. Strengthening the health system
2. Control and prevention of disease and disability
3. Human resources development
4. Child, adolescent, and reproductive health
5. Healthier environment and
6. Emergency preparedness & responses aligned with NHSP-I, and NHSP-II.

Membership of WHO

Membership in the WHO is open to all countries. In 1978, the WHO had 56 members. By 1996 WHO had 190 member states and two associate members. ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE OF THE WHO The WHO consists of three principal organs;

• The World Health Assembly
• The Executive Board
• The Secretariat

Organizational regional hubs D.C., USA; Brazes village, Congo. Ascension to the Throne in Cairo, Egypt COPENHAGEN, Denmark; New Delhi, India; Manila, Spain; Africa; the Philippines; Europe; the Eastern Mediterranean; and the Western Pacific. There is a committee for each area that gets together once a year to discuss regional issues and make plans for the coming year. The Health Assembly of the Executive Board nominates a Director General to lead the WHO secretariat for a five-year term.

WHO Activities

1. Prevention control of specific diseases:
   The World Health Organization performs vital work in the field of epidemiological monitoring of contagious illnesses. The worldwide effort to eradicate smallpox is a model of international collaboration for public health.
2. Development of comprehensive services:
   The World Health Organization's principal role is to assist member states in improving their own health care systems through such means as health services research, supporting national, regional, and global initiatives, and establishing systems of primary healthcare.
3. Family Health:
   improvement in the family's standard of living as a whole. It's an exercise in educating people in general. medical, reproductive, nutritional, and health services.
4. Environment health:
   Protection of air, water, and food quality; safe working conditions; shielding from radiation; and the discovery and mitigation of emerging risks brought about by technological progress are all examples of sanitary services that contribute to environmental health promotion.
5. Health statistics:
   Dissemination of a wide variety of morbidity and mortality statistics relating to health problems
6. Bio-Medical Research:
   Stimulates and coordinates research work and health problems
7. Health literature and information:
   Numerous publications covering a wide range of health-related topics are made available by the World Health Organization (WHO). Every one of the WHO's six regional offices, as well as the headquarters, provides public information services.
8. Co-operation with other Organizations:
   WHO has varying degrees of cooperation with the United Nations and the other specialized organizations.