Logo:

Name of Organisation:
World Health Organisation (WHO)

Address:
World Health Organisation Headquarters
Avenue Appia 20
1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland

Telephone:
+ (41) 22 791 21 11

Website:
http://www.who.int/en/

Email:
info@who.int

Fax:
+(41) 22 791 3111

Type:
International

Mission / Vision Statement:
WHO's objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined in WHO's Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Main areas of interest:
WHO's work is centred areound four interrelated strategic directions:
1) Reducing excess mortality, morbidity and disability.
2) Promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing risk factors to human health.
3) Developing health systems that equitably improve health outcomes, respond to people’s legitimate demands, and are financially fair.
4) Framing an enabling policy and creating an institutional environment for the health sector, and promoting an effective health dimension to social, economic, environmental and development policy.
The WHO is involved in the majority of health related fields and hence has numerous areas of interest. An index of all the specific WHO sites can be seen at:
http://www.who.int/entity/en/
Information on publications produced by WHO on particular areas of interest can be seen at:
http://www.who.int/publications/en/

Structure of Organisation:
The World Health Organization is the United Nations specialized agency for health. It was established on 7 April 1948. WHO is governed by 192 Member States through the World Health Assembly. The Health Assembly is composed of representatives from WHO's Member States. The main tasks of the World Health Assembly are to approve the WHO programme and the budget for the following biennium and to decide major policy questions.

Opportunities:
In carrying out its activities WHO focuses on the following six core functions:
1) Articulating consistent, ethical and evidence-based policy and advocacy positions.
2) Managing information by assessing trends and comparing performance; setting the agenda for, and stimulating, researchs and development.
3) Catalysing change through technical and policy support, in ways that stimulate cooperation and action and help to build sustainable national and intercountry capacity.
4) Negotiating and sustaining national and global partnerships.
5) Setting, validating, monitoring and pursuing the proper implementation of norms and standards.
6) Stimulating the development and testing of new technologies, tools and guidelines.
For information on working for WHO:
http://www.who.int/employment/en/

Related Organisations & Links:
Regional Office for Africa site:
http://www.afro.who.int/
Pan American Health Organization site:
http://www.paho.org/
Regional Office for South-East Asia site:
http://w3.whosea.org/index.htm
Regional Office for Europe site:
http://www.euro.who.int/
Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean site:
http://www.emro.who.int/index.asp
Regional Office for the Western Pacific site:
http://www.wpro.who.int/