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MISSION STATEMENT

The Bulletin seeks to publish and disseminate scientifically rigorous

public health information of international significance that enables
policy-makers, researchers and practitioners to be more effective; it
aims to improve health, particularly among disadvantaged populations.

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BRIEF HISTORY

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the

United Nations (UN) that is concerned with international public health. It
was established on 7 April 1948, headquartered in Geneva,
Switzerland. WHO is a member of the United Nations Development
Group. Its predecessor, the Health Organization, was an agency of the
League of Nations.

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BRIEF HISTORY
The constitution of the World Health Organization had been signed by

61 countries on 22 July 1946, with the first meeting of the World Health
Assembly finishing on 24 July 1948.

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BRIEF HISTORY
Since its creation, it has played a leading role in the eradication of

smallpox. Its current priorities include communicable diseases, in

particular, HIV/AIDS, Ebola, malaria and tuberculosis;

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BRIEF HISTORY
The mitigation of the effects of non-communicable diseases; sexual
and reproductive health, development, and aging; nutrition, food
security and healthy eating; occupational health; substance abuse; and
drive the development of reporting, publications, and networking.

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BRIEF HISTORY
WHO is responsible for the World Health Report, a leading international

publication on health, the worldwide World Health Survey, and World

Health Day (7 April of every year).

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BRIEF HISTORY
When diplomats met to form the United Nations in 1945, one of the

things they discussed was setting up a global health organization.

WHOs Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948 a date we now
celebrate every year as World Health Day.

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BRIEF HISTORY
Current Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Director: Margaret Chan

Year of Establishment: 1948

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OBJECTIVES

The attainment by all people of the highest possible

level of health.

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OBJECTIVES
To improve equity in health, reduce health risks, promote healthy

lifestyles and settings, and respond to the underlying determinants

of health.
To develop and implement multi-sectoral public policies for health,

integrated gender- and age-sensitive approaches that facilitate

community empowerment together with action for health promotion,
self-care and health protection throughout the life course in

cooperation with the relevant national and international partners.

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ROLE IN PUBLIC HEALTH

Provide coordination

and leadership on matters about the

maintenance of health
Setting norms and standards
Enunciating ethical policies in the organization

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ROLE IN PUBLIC HEALTH

Provide technical support, catalyze change, build sustainable

institutional capacity
Shape research agenda and stimulate the generation, translation
and dissemination of knowledge
Monitoring and assessing health trends and situation

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ROLE IN PUBLIC HEALTH

WHO takes initiatives in discussing matters when it comes to the
lives and health conditions of all people. In order to do so, innovation
in the researches and dissemination of vital information concerning
health is of utmost importance. In addition to this, WHO implement
ethical policies in order to uphold order in a system for health
purposes. WHO would further monitor and assess the health
situations and capacities of nations in need and in distress.

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AFFILIATED HEALTH
ORGANIZATION

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NOTABLE PROJECTS

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Accountability for Womens and

Childrens Health
Ministers, ambassadors, senior public officials, and civil
society representatives gathered on Sunday in New
York at a lively breakfast meeting hosted by World

Health Organization (WHO), PMNCH, Countdown to

2015 and the independent Expert Review Group
(iERG). In its fourth year, the breakfast, traditionally in
support of Every Woman Every Child (EWEC), is an
opportunity to mobilize renewed attention and energy
for improving women and childrens health and a
precursor of the week to come. Important new data and
evidence were highlighted from two new reports the
2014 PMNCH Report on Commitments to the Global

Strategy for Women and Childrens Health and the third

report from iERG, which focuses on a vision for
womens and childrens health in the post-2015 era.
The 2014 Progress Report on the implementation of
CoIA recommendations was also discussed.
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Ageing and Life Course

On the International Day of Older Persons,
WHO is launching a new website, Age-friendly

World. This long-awaited resource is targeted

at cities and communities that have already
introduced initiatives that make life easier and
more enjoyable for older people, and for
others who are thinking about taking the first
steps, or interested in simply finding out more.
The site provides guidance and tools for
starting, implementing and evaluating agefriendly initiatives, as well as information on
projects that are already up and running
around the world.
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Clean Care is Safer Care

The goal of Clean Care is Safer Care is to ensure that
infection control is acknowledged universally as a solid

and essential basis towards patient safety and

supports the reduction of health care-associated
infections and their consequences.
As a global campaign to improve hand hygiene among
health-care workers, SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands
is a major component of Clean Care is Safer Care. It
advocates the need to improve and sustain hand

hygiene practices of health-care workers at the right

times and in the right way to help reduce the spread of
potentially life-threatening infections in health-care
facilities.
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Worlds health ministers endorse action plan

to improve health for all people with disability
In an historic move, the 67th World Health
Assembly adopted a resolution endorsing the
WHO global disability action plan 20142021:
Better health for all people with disability . The
Action Plan will provide a major boost to WHO
and governments efforts to enhance the
quality of life of the one billion people around
the world with disabilities. The Action Plan,
called for by the 66th World Health Assembly
one

year

ago,

is

based

on

the

recommendations of the WHO and World Bank

World report on disability and in line with the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities.
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Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition

Information System (VMNIS)
The Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Information System (VMNIS), formerly
known as the Micronutrient Deficiency Information System (MDIS), was

established in 1991 following a request by the World Health Assembly to

strengthen surveillance of micronutrient deficiencies at the global level.
Part of WHO's mandate is to assess the micronutrient status of
populations, monitor and evaluate the impact of strategies for the
prevention and control of micronutrient malnutrition, and to track related
trends over time. The Evidence and Programme Guidance Unit of the
Department of Nutrition for Health and Development manages the VMNIS
through WHO's network of regional and country offices, and in close
collaboration with national health authorities.

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Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition

Information System (VMNIS)
The objectives of the VMNIS are to
1. Systematically retrieve and summarize data on vitamin and mineral
status of populations.
2. Provide Member States with up-to-date national, regional, and global
assessments of the magnitude of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
3. Track progress towards the goal of eliminating major vitamin and
mineral deficiencies.
4. Provide tools and resources to support efforts of Member States and
their partners for assessing vitamin and mineral nutritional status in
populations.
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Sexual and reproductive health

Research is underway to develop new biomedical interventions that could allow women and
young girls to address multiple sexual and reproductive health issues with one product. MPTs
can include vaccines, contraceptives, microbicides and devices such as intravaginal rings and
diaphragms. Currently, the MPTs under study focus on drug delivery mechanisms and
products to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections including HIV. The only
approved products for now are male or female condoms, sometimes with innovative designs
and concepts. The product most advanced in clinical testing is 1% tenofovir (TFV) gel for

which there is evidence for impact against HIV and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2)
infections from one trial and a confirmatory Phase 3 trial is currently underway in South Africa.
MPTs would increase efficiencies for end-users, donors and providers, by providing
simultaneous protection against multiple health risks while also meeting a life course approach

to the sexual and reproductive health needs and goals of women.

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Immunization, Vaccines and

Biologicals
WHO reiterates its recommendation that
HPV vaccines should be included in
national

immunization

programmes,

provided that: prevention of cervical

cancer and other HPV-related diseases

constitutes a public health priority;

vaccine introduction is programmatically
feasible; sustainable financing can be
secured; and the cost-effectiveness of
vaccination strategies in the country or
region is considered.

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Oral health
The objectives of the WHO Global Oral
Health Programme (ORH), one of the
technical

programmes

within

the

Department of Chronic Diseases and

Health Promotion (CHP), have been
reoriented according to the new strategy
of disease prevention and promotion of
health. Greater emphasis is put on
developing global policies in oral health

promotion and oral disease prevention,

coordinated more effectively with other
priority programmes of CHP and other
clusters and with external partners.
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