The World Health Organization (WHO) was founded on April 7, 1948 and is a specialized agency of the United Nations that works to promote health worldwide. It began with international sanitary conferences in the 19th century to help reduce disease and improve cooperation between countries. WHO aims to improve global health, attain the highest level of health for all people, and lead international health within the UN system. It has over 150 country and regional offices and works on issues like health emergencies, noncommunicable diseases, health systems, and health promotion.

2. History
 It was founded on 7th April 1948 – the
first World Health Day
 It is a member of the United Nations
Development Group
 It was founded in San Francisco

3. Why was it founded?
 International health cooperation began with
the first International Sanitary Conference in
Paris, which opened on 23rd July 1851.
 The objective of this conference was to reduce to
a safe minimum the conflicting and costly maritime
quarantine requirements of
different European nations.
(…)

4. (…)
 At the 1903 conference it was agreed in
principle that a permanent international
health bureau should be established.
 The League of Nations was created as an
aftermath of the First World War.
(…)

5. (…)
 One of its tasks was to "endeavour to take
steps in matters of international concern for
the prevention and control of disease".
All existing international bureaux were to be
placed under the direction of the League.
 With the outbreak of the Second World War,
international health work came almost to a
standstill.
(…)

6. (…)
 In April 1945 (after the War), during the
Conference to set up the United Nations (UN)
held in San Francisco, representatives of Brazil
and China proposed that an international health
organization be established and a conference to
frame its constitution convened.

7. What are its aims?
 The Health Academy's goal is to improve
knowledge about attaining and maintaining
good health. Through e-Learning – which is how
WHO defines learning by any electronic
technology and media – the Organization has
the means to reach out to people with information
on disease prevention and
health promotion.

8. The role of WHO in public health
 WHO fulfils its objectives through its core
functions:
 Providing leadership on matters critical to
health and engaging in partnerships where joint
action is needed;
 Shaping the research agenda and stimulating the
generation, translation and dissemination of valuable
knowledge;
(…)

9. (…)
 Setting norms and standards and promoting
and monitoring their implementation;
 Articulating ethical and evidence-based policy
options;
 Providing technical support, catalysing change,
and building sustainable institutional capacity;
 Monitoring the health situation and assessing
health trends.

10. Its worldwide presence
 More than 7000 people from more than
150 countries work for the Organization
in 150 WHO offices in countries,
territories and areas, six regional
offices, at the Global Service Centre in
Malaysia and at the headquarters in
Geneva, Switzerland.

11. 194 Member states
 A
 Afghanistan
 Albania
 Algeria
 Andorra
 Angola
 Antigua and
Barbuda
 Argentina
 Armenia
 Australia
 Austria
 Azerbaijan
 B
 Bahamas
 Bahrain
 Bangladesh
 Barbados
 Belarus
 Belgium
 Belize
 Benin
 Bhutan
 Bolivia
(Plurinational
State of)
 Bosnia and
Herzegovina
 Botswana
 Brazil
 Brunei Darussalam
 Bulgaria
 Burkina Faso
 Burundi

12.  C
 Cabo Verde
 Cambodia
 Cameroon
 Canada
 Central African
Republic
 Chad
 Chile
 China
 Colombia
 Comoros
 Congo
 Cook Islands
 Costa Rica
 Côte d'Ivoire
 Croatia
 Cuba
 Cyprus
 Czech Republic
 D
 Democratic
People's Republic
of Korea
 Democratic
Republic of the
Congo
 Denmark
 Djibouti
 Dominica
 Dominican
Republic
 E
 Ecuador
 Egypt
 El Salvador
 Equatorial
Guinea
 Eritrea
 Estonia
 Ethiopia

13.  F
 Fiji
 Finland
 France
 G
 Gabon
 Gambia
 Georgia
 Germany
 Ghana
 Greece
 Grenada
 Guatemala
 Guinea
 Guinea-Bissau
 Guyana
 H
 Haiti
 Honduras
 Hungary

14.  I
 Iceland
 India
 Indonesia
 Iran (Islamic
Republic of)
 Iraq
 Ireland
 Israel
 Italy
 J
 Jamaica
 Japan
 Jordan
 K
 Kazakhstan
 Kenya
 Kiribati
 Kuwait
 Kyrgyzstan
 L
 Lao People's
Democratic
Republic
 Latvia
 Lebanon
 Lesotho
 Liberia
 Libya
 Lithuania
 Luxembourg

15.  M
 Madagascar
 Malawi
 Malaysia
 Maldives
 Mali
 Malta
 Marshall Islands
 Mauritania
 Mauritius
 Mexico
 Micronesia
(Federated
States of)
 Monaco
 Mongolia
 Montenegro
 Morocco
 Mozambique
 Myanmar
 N
 Namibia
 Nauru
 Nepal
 Netherlands
 New Zealand
 Nicaragua
 Niger
 Nigeria
 Niue
 Norway
 O
 Oman

16.  P
 Pakistan
 Palau
 Panama
 Papua New
Guinea
 Paraguay
 Peru
 Philippines
 Poland
 Portugal
 Q
 Qatar
 R
 Republic of
Korea
 Republic of
Moldova
 Romania
 Russian
Federation
 Rwanda

17.  S
 Saint Kitts and
Nevis
 Saint Lucia
 Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines
 Samoa
 San Marino
 Sao Tome and
Principe
 Saudi Arabia
 Senegal
 Serbia
 Seychelles
 Sierra Leone
 Singapore
 Slovakia
 Slovenia
 Solomon Islands
 Somalia
 South Africa
 South Sudan
 Spain
 Sri Lanka
 Sudan
 Suriname
 Swaziland
 Sweden
 Switzerland
 Syrian Arab
Republic
 T
 Tajikistan
 Thailand
 The former
Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia
 Timor-Leste
 Togo
 Tonga
 Trinidad and
Tobago
 Tunisia
 Turkey
 Turkmenistan
 Tuvalu

18.  U
 Uganda
 Ukraine
 United Arab
Emirates
 United Kingdom
 United Republic
of Tanzania
 United States of
America
 Uruguay
 Uzbekistan
 V
 Vanuatu
 Venezuela
(Bolivarian
Republic of)
 Viet Nam
 Y
 Yemen
 Z
 Zambia
 Zimbabwe

19. Symbol
 WHO's emblem was chosen by the
first World Health Assembly in 1948. The
emblem consists of the United Nations
symbol surmounted by a staff with a
snake coiling round it. The staff with the
snake has long been a symbol of
medicine and the medical
profession.

20. (…)
 It originates from the story of Asclepius
who was revered by the ancient Greeks
as a god of healing
and whose cult
involved the use of
snakes.

21. The End