WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

The World Health Organization, abbreviated as WHO, is a multinational organization that was created in 1948 with a mission to advocate for the health and wellbeing of its member states while serving individuals and nations regardless of their relative socioeconomic statuses. With 194 member states, it has emerged as the premier international health organization. Several of the greatest public health advances of the past century have occurred under the auspices of the WHO, including the eradication of smallpox, the near eradication of polio, and the management of the 2016 Ebola outbreak. Today, the organization continues to advocate for the health of underserved populations, draw attention to threats to public health, and coordinate the worldwide response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The primary legislative body of the WHO is the World Health Assembly (WHA). Member states appoint delegations to this body, that elect and appoint an Executive Board which carries out WHO mandates and advises the body when needed. The WHA also elects a Director-General every five years, and the current Director-General of the WHO is Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.