The Role And Role Of The World Health Organization

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In the aftermath of the major wars that rocked the early 20th century, state actors across the globe came together in 1945 to create the United Nations, an organization which would encourage cooperation, coordination and provide support to all members of the international system. Shortly after, the UN created of the World Health Organization (WHO), with the aspiration that it would be the leading authority in global health issues for the international system. Since then, the WHO has grown and matured over the years, making important bounds in educating and directing states on important health decisions. Its membership now includes almost every state in the international system and its breadth of knowledge on global health issues has become …show more content…
In order to achieve these goals the WHO is structured to give every Member State is involved and to have an extensive range of influence to promote its aims. The major governing body is the World Health Assembly Board, which is the decision-making body for the WHO. The World Health Assembly meets every year and delegates from each of the Member States are sent to help decide on the policies and future pursuits of the WHO. The Health Assembly appoints the Director-General who the leader of the Health Assembly and is responsible for financial aspects of the Organization and approves the budget of proposed programs. There is also an Executive Board, which includes 34 members who are all qualified in the health field. The main functions of the Board are “to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work” (WHO’s Governing Bodies, 2016). The collaboration of these bodies help the WHO set the health agenda and figure out the best way to work towards its …show more content…
Cooperation is an essential operation to the WHO because of its expansive objectives. The WHO must not only collaboration with Member States, but also work within countries’ governments, with NGOs, private sector entities, philanthropic foundations and academic institutions in order to achieve its health goals. The WHO is more than just its Headquarters in Geneva, it has far reaching partners and also many other offices. The WHO had 149 field offices and 6 regional offices to help support Member States in their health goals and needs. There are more 8000 people from over 150 countries working for the WHO. (brochure) Organizing the efforts of all these actors would be a near impossible feat. In “The Normative Authority of the World Health Organization,” Gostin, Sridhar and Hougendobler discuss how because of this fragmentation the governance of the WHO is weak. They argue that the WHO, “lacks critical institutional structures for financial management, transparency, priority setting and accountability” (2015, 2) Essentially reinforcing that fact that the WHO current status seems to be an organization which is more dependent on its Members than vice versa. Until the WHO is able to enhance its dominance within its governing bodies and its allocation of funds, it’s authority, as a leading global health organization will continue to be

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