World Health Organization

Flag of the World Health Organization The World Health Organization is the United Nations specialized agency for health. It was established on 7 April 1948. WHO's objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined in WHO's Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Under the League of Nations system a Health Organization was established in 1923. This can be seen as a predecessor of the WHO.

WHO is governed by 193 Member States through the World Health Assembly. The Health Assembly is composed of representatives from WHO's Member States. The main tasks of the World Health Assembly are to approve the WHO programme and the budget for the World Health Assembly, Geneva following biennium and to decide major policy questions. The Health Assembly is held in the Palais des Nations in Geneva (photo: WHO/P. Virot).

Members are all members states of the United Nations, except Liechtenstein, as well as Cook Islands and Niue. Territories that are not responsible for their own foreign relations may become an associate member.

Member states are grouped into six regions, each with a regional office: Africa, the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia and Western Pacific. The regional office for the Americas is better known as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Special Goodwill Ambassadors have been appointed to promote the work of the WHO: Liya Kebede (Ethiopia), Yohei Sasakawa (Japan), Sylvie Vartan (France) and The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Austria).

From 1948 to 1995 special stamps were issued by Switzerland for use on mail from the WHO Headquarters in Geneva. These stamps can be found in the stamp catalogue.

Links

The website of the World Health Organization.

Flag of the WHO in Flags of the World.

Article on the WHO in Wikipedia.

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World Health Day