WHO

 

INTRODUCTION

 

          A Voluntary health agency may be defined as “an organization that is administered by an autonomous board which holds meetings, collects funds for its support, chiefly from private sources and expands money, whether with or without paid workers, in conducting a programme directed primarily to furthering the public health by providing health services or health education or by advancing research or legislation for health or by combination of these activities.

 

          WHO is one of the specialized agencies of United Nations, also it is a non – political health agency with head quarters in Geneva.  It is a large public organization belonging to its many members countries and their people.  It has at present 187 members states.  The WHO is not the world Health Service, but helps governments at their request and in accordance with policies laid by World Health Assembly.

         

ORIGIN OF WHO

 

          After the world war I in 1914, there arose an universal desire to construct what was called as the League of nations to take into consideration matters of International concern for the prevention and control of disease.  In between the two world wars the independent health organization of League of Nations and pan American Sanitary Organisation.

            

 

          On 7-4-1948, the 26 of the 61 member governments satisfied the constitution as the constitution and the WHO was born as a specialized agency of the United Nations.  The first Health Assembly opened in Geneva on 24^th June, 1948 with delegations from 50 of the 55 governments.  The membership opens to all the countries.  Each country contributes towards the WHO found and in return gets all the technical aid and services when needed.  These was 166 member by 1987.  The constitution came into force on                  7-4-1948, which is celebrated as who day every year on 7^th of April.

 

 

OBJECTIVES

 

          The main objective of the WHO is

          “The attainment by all peoples of the highest level of health”

          The preamble of the constitution states:

          “Health is a state of complete, physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.  The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic and social conditions”.

 

Ø  The health of all people is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent upon the fullest co-operation of individuals and states.

Ø  Achievement of any state in the promotion and protection of health is of value to all.

Ø  Extension to all people of the benefits of medical, psychological and related knowledge is essential to the fullest attainment of health.

 

FUNCTIONS

Ø  To assist in strengthening national health services.

Ø  It directs and co-ordinates the health rate throughout the world.

Ø  To maintain epidemiological statistical services.

Ø  To estimate sporadic, endomic and other disease.

Ø  To promote the prevention of accidental injuries by improvement of nutrition, housing, sanitation, recreation and other aspects of environmental hygiene.

Ø  To propose international connection and regulation on health.

Ø  To see that people who travel from one country to another are protected against disease such as small pox.

Ø  Promote maternal and child health services.

Ø  To promote and conduct research to improve in standards of education in health promotion.

Ø  To promote international standards of food, biological and pharmaceutical products.

Ø  To bring about uniform standard of strength by purity of medical substance to drug vaccine.

Ø  To assist in developing public opinion on health matters and health statistics.

Ø  To promote and conduct research in field of health.

Ø  To provide, information, counsel and assistance in the field of health.

Ø  To standardize diagnostic procedure as and when necessary.

 

ACTIVITIES

Ø  Control of communicable diseases

Includes parasitic, bacterial and viral diseases, eradication or control programmes.

Ø  Education and training education

Education up training of professional, technical and auxillary staff.

Ø  Co-ordination of medicinal research and supporting services

Collaborative research, reference centres, research grants for training and exchange and scientific groups.

Ø  Development of public health services

Public health administration, organization of medicinal care, hospitals.

 

 

STRUCTURE OF WHO

WHO operates in 3 organs

Ø  World Health Assembly

Ø  Executive board

Ø  The Secretariat

 

WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY

Functions are

Ø  To determine the international health agencies.

Ø  To remain the mark of previous year

Ø  To approve the budget prepared for the following year

 

Executive Board

Functions are

Ø  Acts as an executive organ of Health Assembly.

Ø  To provide agenda for each seminar of the assembly.

Ø  It takes initiative in times of emergencies.

 

Secretariat

        It is the headed by the Director General who is the chief technical administrative office.

WHO CONTRIBUTION TO INDIA

 

 

1) Prevention and control of Specific disease

          The global eradication of small pox is an outstanding example of international health co-operation.  It is now directing the global battle against AIDs.  WHO has also paid attention in its programme of work to non-communicable disease problems such as cancer, CVS diseases, genetic disorders.  Immunization against common diseases of childhood is now a priority programme of WHO.

2) Development of Comprehensive health services

          Most important function of WHO is to promote and support national health policy development and the development and the development of comprehensive national health programmes.  Appropriate Technology for health is another new program launched by WHO to encourage self – sufficiency in solving health problems.

Family Health

          It is major programme activities of WHO since 1970, and is broadly subdivided into maternal and child health care.  Human  reproduction, nturtion and health education.  The Chief concern is improvement of the quality of life of family as a unit.

4) Environmental health

          Promotion of environment health has always been at important activity of WHO.  Recent  activities are directed to protection of quality of air, water and food health conditions of work, radiation protection and early identification of new hazards originating from new technological development.

5) Health  Statistics

          WHO has been concerned with the dissemination of a wide variety of morbidity and mortality statistics relating to health problems.  WHO publishes, international classification of Diseases” which is updated every 10^th Year. Assistance is also given to countries in the improvement of their medical records, and in planning and operating national health  information systems.

6. Bio-medical research

          WHO does not itself do research, but stimulates and co-ordinates research work.  Sin tropical diseases (malaria, filariasis, schistomiasis, trypanosomeasis, Leishmaniasis and leprosy) are the target of Who special programme for research and training in tropical diseases to develop new tools.

7. Health Literature and information

          WHO acts a clearing house for information on health problems.  WHO library is one of the satellite centre of the Medical literature analysis and retrieval system) of U.S. National library of medicine.

8. Co-operation wish other organizations

          WHO collaborates with the UN and with other specialized agencies up maintains various degree of working relationships.  WHO has also established relations with a number of international governmental organizations

 CONCLUSION

         The WHO is not the world Health Services, but helps governments at their request and in accordance with policies laid by world health assembly.  WHO is one of the specialized agencies of united nations.