-
Deutsches Arzteblatt International Nov 2021
Topics: Humans; World Health Organization
PubMed: 35101169
DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2021.0286 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2022There have been many criticisms about the World Health Organization (WHO) in the last decade. In a multipolar world, there are rivalries between nations and geopolitical...
There have been many criticisms about the World Health Organization (WHO) in the last decade. In a multipolar world, there are rivalries between nations and geopolitical regions. However, health issues remain outside the murky world of politics due to their far-reaching consequences on human society. The power conferred on the WHO is very significant in protecting the health and well-being of the global population. As a neutral organization, the WHO is supposed to uphold people's rights to health, especially in controlling diseases of international importance. The paper highlighted the significant roles of the WHO in leadership issues, research and development, solving disputes among countries, providing resources for low-performing regions, regulating international health laws, responding to a humanitarian crisis, and communicating during the crisis. Further, evidence from global literature critically analyzed the enforcement role of WHO on international health regulations (IHRs).
Topics: Humans; Global Health; World Health Organization; Politics
PubMed: 36438298
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1037734 -
BMJ Global Health 2020Countries should ensure equitable access to quality medicines. Regulatory systems for medicines and other health technologies are an essential part of well-functioning... (Review)
Review
Countries should ensure equitable access to quality medicines. Regulatory systems for medicines and other health technologies are an essential part of well-functioning health systems and are a requisite for achieving Universal Health and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Pan American Health Organization, the World health Organization (WHO) regional office for the Americas, has assessed national regulatory capacities using a precursor of WHO Global Benchmarking Tool, and conducted an analysis of the data which suggests an association of regulatory capacity with population and the size of the economy. Regulatory capacity tends to decrease as population and gross domestic product decreases. This predominantly impacts the Caribbean sub-region in the Americas, which includes many states with small populations and economies. This paper will use the World Bank's term 'small states' to refer to countries with 1.5 million people or less and other larger countries that face similar challenges. The regulatory challenges of small states include small markets and limited human and financial resources. However, small states can build regulatory systems with a narrower scope that are less resource intensive and still ensure appropriate regulation and oversight. The approach should be tailored to accomplish a subset of WHO recommended essential functions, including marketing authorisation, licensing of establishments and postmarket surveillance/pharmacovigilance, depending on the need to oversee local manufacturing, which requires a comprehensive system. The approach should also include adoption of efficiencies, such as regionalisation and reliance. This model is currently being put in practice in the small states of the Caribbean Community and Pacific Islands and can inform other small states around the world.
Topics: Americas; Government Programs; Humans; United States; World Health Organization
PubMed: 32180997
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001912 -
American Journal of Public Health Jan 2006The term "global health" is rapidly replacing the older terminology of "international health." We describe the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in both...
The term "global health" is rapidly replacing the older terminology of "international health." We describe the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in both international and global health and in the transition from one to the other. We suggest that the term "global health" emerged as part of larger political and historical processes, in which WHO found its dominant role challenged and began to reposition itself within a shifting set of power alliances. Between 1948 and 1998, WHO moved from being the unquestioned leader of international health to being an organization in crisis, facing budget shortfalls and diminished status, especially given the growing influence of new and powerful players. We argue that WHO began to refashion itself as the coordinator, strategic planner, and leader of global health initiatives as a strategy of survival in response to this transformed international political context.
Topics: Communicable Disease Control; Communicable Diseases; Financing, Organized; Global Health; History, 20th Century; Humans; Immunization Programs; International Cooperation; Primary Health Care; Public Health; World Health Organization
PubMed: 16322464
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.050831 -
The Pan African Medical Journal 2019The WHO Regional Office for Africa developed an evidence-based tool, called the Dalberg tool to guide the functional review and restructuring of the workforce and...
INTRODUCTION
The WHO Regional Office for Africa developed an evidence-based tool, called the Dalberg tool to guide the functional review and restructuring of the workforce and management of the country offices to better fit the health priorities of Member States.
METHODS
The Dalberg tool was used in conjunction with a series of consultations and dialogues to review twenty-two countries have undergone the functional review. Results: the "core functions" in WHO country offices (WCOs) were identified. These are health coordination, strengthening of health systems, generation of evidence and strategic information management, and preparedness against health emergencies.
RESULTS
In order to standardize country office functions, categorization of countries was undertaken, based on specific criteria, such as health system performance towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), health emergencies, burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, subnational presence and national population size.
CONCLUSION
Following the functional review, the staff is now better aligned with country and organizational priorities. For example, the functional review has taken into consideration: (i) the ongoing polio transition planning; (ii) the implementation of the WHO emergency programme in countries; (iii) the investment case for strengthening routine immunization in Africa; and (iv) regional flagship programmes, such as adolescent health and UHC. The delivery of the core functions above will require the hiring of additional capacities and expertise in most country offices if deemed fit-for-purpose.
Topics: Africa; Delivery of Health Care; Health Priorities; Humans; Universal Health Insurance; Workforce; World Health Organization
PubMed: 32158511
DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2019.34.146.19463 -
Bulletin of the World Health... Jun 2023
Topics: Humans; Health Workforce; World Health Organization
PubMed: 37265683
DOI: 10.2471/BLT.23.290191 -
Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal =... Oct 2019The World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region occupies an exceptional place in the world; not only is it home to over 600 million people and some of...
The World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region occupies an exceptional place in the world; not only is it home to over 600 million people and some of the oldest civilizations recorded, it is also unfortunately suffering an unprecedented number of natural and man-made disasters and social conflicts. Regional conflict has led to a multitude of humanitarian crises including displaced populations, trans-border refugee movements, destruction of medical facilities and reduced availability of essential health-care workers. In addition, natural disasters in the form of extreme weather events, as witnessed by the unprecedented flooding in the Islamic Republic of Iran, had the World Bank declaring that the Region is among the most vulnerable to climate change and rising sea levels, with Egypt, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates particularly at risk. Moreover, much of the Region has been exposed to continuous drought since 1998, the worst dry period for 900 years according to NASA, and an estimated 80-100 million people will be vulnerable to water stress by 2025.
Topics: Africa, Northern; Delivery of Health Care; Developing Countries; Health Status; Humans; Maternal-Child Health Services; Middle East; Noncommunicable Diseases; Socioeconomic Factors; World Health Organization
PubMed: 31625583
DOI: 10.26719/2019.25.9.595 -
Bulletin of the World Health... May 2023
Topics: Humans; Health Status Disparities; World Health Organization
PubMed: 37131942
DOI: 10.2471/BLT.23.290004 -
Nature Reviews. Microbiology Apr 2023Invasive fungal diseases are on the increase globally. The World Health Organization fungal priority pathogens list highlights fungi of critical or high importance to...
Invasive fungal diseases are on the increase globally. The World Health Organization fungal priority pathogens list highlights fungi of critical or high importance to human health and provides pathways for action. The report calls for improved surveillance (diagnostics and antifungal resistance monitoring), research and innovation (implementation research) and public-health interventions.
Topics: World Health Organization; Fungi
PubMed: 36747091
DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00861-x -
Medical History Oct 2018For the World Health Organization (WHO), the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration marked a move away from the disease-specific and technologically-focused programmes of the 1950s...
For the World Health Organization (WHO), the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration marked a move away from the disease-specific and technologically-focused programmes of the 1950s and 1960s towards a reimagined strategy to provide 'Health for All by the Year 2000'. This new approach was centred on primary health care, a vision based on acceptable methods and appropriate technologies, devised in collaboration with communities and dependent on their full participation. Since 1948, the WHO had used mass communications strategies to publicise its initiatives and shape public attitudes, and the policy shift in the 1970s required a new visual strategy. In this context, community health workers (CHWs) played a central role as key visual identifiers of Health for All. This article examines a period of picturing and public information work on the part of the WHO regarding CHWs. It sets out to understand how the visual politics of the WHO changed to accommodate PHC as a new priority programme from the 1970s onwards. The argument tracks attempts to define CHWs and examines the techniques employed by the WHO during the 1970s and early 1980s to promote the concept to different audiences around the world. It then moves to explore how the process was evaluated, as well as the difficulties in procuring fresh imagery. Finally, the article traces these representations through the 1980s, when community approaches came under sustained pressure from external and internal factors and imagery took on the supplementary role of defending the concept.
Topics: Community Health Workers; History, 20th Century; Humans; Primary Health Care; World Health Organization
PubMed: 30191782
DOI: 10.1017/mdh.2018.40