World
Health Organization (WHO)
(Syllabus topic – GS paper 2 – Important
International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate)
§ The
WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in the year 1948,
headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
§ The
goal of WHO is to build a better, healthier future for people all over the
world.
§ WHO
is the directing and coordinating authority on international health within the
United Nations.
Role of WHO:
a) It
provides leadership on matters critical to health and engage in partnerships
where joint action is needed.
b) It
shapes the research agenda and stimulates the generation, translation and
dissemination of valuable knowledge
c) It
sets norms and standards and promotes and monitors their implementation.
d) It
articulates ethical and evidence based policy options.
e) It
provides technical support, catalysing change and building sustainable
institutional capacity.
f)
It monitors the health situation and
assessing health trends.
The area in which WHO work,
1) Health
systems
§ WHO
works together with policy makers global health partners, civil society,
academia and the private sector to support countries to develop, implement and
monitor solid national health plans.
§ WHO
supports countries to assure the availability of equitable integrated people
centered health services at an affordable price.
2) Non
Communicable diseases
3) Promoting
health through the life course
4) Communicable
diseases
5) Preparedness,
Surveillance and response.
Governance:
§ The
Governance of WHO takes place through the world health assemblys executive
board.
§ World
health assembly is the supreme decision making body
§ Executive
Board gives effect to the decisions and policies of the health assembly
§ WHO
is headed by the Director General
§ DG
is appointed by the health assembly on the nomination of the executive board
§ Main
function of the world health assembly are
i)
Determine the policies of the
organization
ii)
Appoint the Director General
iii)
Supervise financial policies
iv)
Review and approve the proposed
programme budget
§ The
executive Board is composed of 34 technically qualified members elected for
three year terms.
§ The
DG of WHO is WHO’s chief technical and administrative officer and oversees the
policy for the organisation’s international health work.
§ As
a specialised agency of the UN system, WHO is firmly committed to the following
ethical principles
a) Integrity
b) Accountability
c) Independence
and impartiality
d) Respect
e) Professional
commitment
§ WHO
took over the responsibility for the International classification of Disease
(ICD)
§ WHO
works in countries to help national authorities and communities to prepare by
strengthening overall capacity to manage all types of crisis; to respond by
ensuring effective and timely action to address public health priorities; to
recover by ensuring that local health systems are functioning; and to mitigate
against the effects of crisis on public health.
§ WHO
established International Health Regulation (IHR) that countries must follow to
identify disease outbreaks and stop them from spreading.
§ WHO’s
strategic Health operations centre is used during disease outbreaks and
humanitarian emergencies to coordinate information and response between
countries, WHO and other partners.