The World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations agency that is concerned with international public health. It was established on April 7, 1948 and has its headquarter in Geneva, Switzerland. It is also a member of the United Nations Development Group. The WHO’s Constitution states that its objective is “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health” (2). Eradication of an infectious disease is an extraordinary goal. The WHO is continuously working on its objectives and missions and has achieved commendable success in its fight against communicable diseases worldwide.
Its efforts and achievements must be acknowledged. “WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends”(World Health n. p). The WHO has played a significant role in the eradication of smallpox. Its current priorities include, in particular, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Ahmad 2.
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES Communicable diseases are caused by infections. Infection is the invasion of a host organism’s body tissues by disease-causing agents, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to these organisms and the toxins they produce (“Infection”). The 2012–2013 WHO budget identified 13 areas among which funding was distributed. Two of those thirteen areas related to communicable diseases: the first, to reduce the health, social and economic burden of communicable diseases in general; the second to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in particular (“Programme” 5).
In its pledge to achieve “health for all by the year 2000” the WHO listed treatment of disease last among its goals, after provision of food, sanitary environment, and clean water, recognizing that medical care has less to do with health than social and environmental circumstances (Dutton, Preston, and Pfund 371). Emerging and re-emerging epidemic diseases pose an on-going threat to global health security. The WHO’s Twelfth General Programme of Work sets the reduction of “mortality, morbidity and societal disruption resulting from epidemics…. through prevention, preparedness, response and recovery activities” as one its five strategic imperatives (World Health n. p).
EBOLA Ebola or Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is the latest threat to human health. It has taken thousands of lives in a span of a few months. It is caused by ebolaviruses. Ebola, formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a serious often fatal illness in humans and animals of the order primates. On August 8, the WHO Director-General declared this outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. WHO aims to prevent Ebola outbreaks by maintaining surveillance for EVD and supporting at-risk countries to develop preparedness plans (“Ebola” n. p).