What is the full form of WHO

WHO: World Health Organization

WHO stands for World Health Organization. It is a specialized organization of the United Nations that aims to promote international public health. Its goal is to ensure healthier future for people across the world. It has offices in more than 150 countries and it works in collaboration with governments and other partners to improve the health of the people.

Since its inception, it was actively involved in the eradication of smallpox. At present, it is working to prevent and cure infectious diseases like HIV and influenza and noncommunicable ones like cancer, heart, lungs and kidney problems. It is also concerned with quality of the air, water, medicines, vaccines, etc.

The current Director General of WHO is Tedros Adhanom. He started his five-year term on 1 July 2017. The organization has implemented the World Health Survey (a health statistics and information system). It also regularly produces the World Health Report (WHR) and sponsors the World Health Day; a global health awareness day celebrated on 7 April of every year.

WHO was established on 7 April 1948 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is also the member of the United Nations Development Group. Its first session was held on 4-5 October 1948 in India in the office of the Indian Minister of Health. India is also a member state of the WHO South East Asia Region. As of November 2015, Mr. Henk Bekedam is the WHO Representative to India.

Major Functions

• To provide the leadership on global health matters
• To guide and shape the health related research agenda
• To provide technical support to countries and monitor and assess the health trends
• Improving sanitation, nutrition, housing and work environment
• Developing international standards for food, medicine and related products

WHO has three different departments to perform its functions which are World Health Assembly, the executive board and the secretariat. Thus, WHO is an intergovernmental organization that is determined to monitor the state of world?s health and take necessary steps to improve the world health.