World Health Organization Founded
The WHO was established as a specialized agency of the United Nations
April 07, 1948
A Global Body for Global Health
The World Health Organization was founded on April 7, 1948, when its constitution came into force. It was established as a specialized agency of the newly created United Nations, with a mandate to promote health, keep the world safe from disease outbreaks, and serve the vulnerable. The WHO replaced earlier international health bodies that had struggled to coordinate responses to pandemics like influenza and cholera. Its founding came at a moment of great international idealism — the same year that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted — and reflected a belief that good health was a basic human right, not a privilege.
What the WHO Does
The WHO's work spans an enormous range of activities. It monitors disease outbreaks around the world and coordinates international responses when a new threat emerges. It sets global health standards and guidelines, from safe drug dosages to surgical procedures. It leads vaccination campaigns and has been instrumental in eradicating or nearly eradicating diseases like smallpox, polio, and guinea worm disease. The organization also works on issues like tobacco control, mental health, nutrition, and the safety of medicines and medical devices. It operates with a budget funded by member states and private donors, and has offices in countries around the world.
Tested by Crisis
The WHO's greatest moments of visibility have come during global health crises. It played a central role in the response to the SARS outbreak in 2003, the Ebola epidemics in West Africa in 2014–2016, and the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2019. During COVID-19, the WHO was both praised for its coordination efforts and heavily criticized, particularly for its early handling of information from China. The United States briefly withdrew from the organization in 2020 before rejoining in 2021. Despite its flaws, the WHO remains the world's most important international health institution, a critical part of humanity's defense against infectious disease. April 7 is now observed as World Health Day.