World Health Organization
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WHO Flag\n |
WHO headquarters in Geneva
Copyright: WHO/Pierre Virot
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Headquartered in
Geneva,
Switzerland, the
World Health Organization (WHO) is an agency of the
United Nations, acting as a coordinating authority on international public health. WHO was established by the UN on
April 7,
1948.
The constitution of WHO defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and does not consist only of the absence of disease or infirmity. WHO is a global organization that promotes this concept of health.
After years of fighting
smallpox, WHO declared in 1979 that the disease had been eradicated. It is nearing success in developing vaccines against
malaria and
schistosomiasis and aims to eradicate
polio within the next few years.
Other than actually curing already occurring diseases, the Organization also puts great effort into producing articles on the cause of diseases. In addition to their work in eradicating disease, the WHO also carries out campaigns – for example, to boost consumption of
vegetables worldwide, or adopting a negative stance towards
tobacco – and conducts research: for instance, into whether or not the
electromagnetic field surrounding
cell phones has a negative influence on health.
Members of the UN appoint delegations to the World Health Assembly, which votes for the WHO Director General. The current Director General is
Jong-Wook Lee.
Directors General of the WHO
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Former Directors General
See also:\n*
International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems
Other Notable Persons Associated With the WHO
External link
\n* http://www.who.int
Category:International organizationsCategory:United Nations specialized agencies\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
