1. The World Health Organization (WHO) is an international public health organization established on April 7, 1948, with the goal of promoting health, preventing disease, and improving the quality of life for everyone, everywhere.
2. The WHO has 194 member states, making it the most extensive membership of any specialized agency of the United Nations.
3. The organization’s headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland, and it operates in six regions: Africa, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific.
4. The WHO has a budget of approximately $4.6 billion, which is primarily funded by member states’ contributions.
5. The WHO is responsible for setting global health standards and guidelines, such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which is used to classify diseases and health conditions worldwide.
6. The organization has played a pivotal role in eradicating smallpox, the only human disease to have been completely eliminated.
7. The WHO declared the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009, marking the first time the organization used the term “pandemic” to describe a global outbreak.
8. The WHO’s World Health Report is a comprehensive assessment of global health trends and issues, and it has been published annually since 1997.
9. The organization’s Director-General is the highest-ranking official and is elected by the World Health Assembly, the WHO’s supreme decision-making body.
10. The WHO has been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, providing guidance, resources, and coordinating international efforts to contain the pandemic.
