WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION
KEY KNOWLEDGE
2.3 – The agenda of the WHO in promoting global health and
sustainable human development.
KEY SKILLS
Describe the role of International and Australian government and nongovernment agencies and organisations in promoting global health and
sustainable development.
The World Health Organisation
• A branch of the United
Nations and works to
promote global health by
providing leadership on
global health issues and
provides resources and
support to countries that
require assistance in
improving the health of their
citizens.
• To address global health
and promote sustainable
human development WHO
has a 6 point agenda.
1. Promoting
development
6. Improving
performance
2. Fostering
health security
The
WHO
agenda
3.
Strengthening
health systems
5. Enhancing
partnerships
4. Harnessing
research,
information
and evidence
1. PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT
• Having improved health is essential for improving human
development.
• WHO works to promote sustainable human development by
ensuring every person is able to access life-saving and healthpromoting resources such as health care and clean water.
• Activities aimed at the most vulnerable e.g those living in poverty,
disabled people, people living inn rural and remote areas.
• WHO has a particular focus on the achieving the health related
MDG’s to improve global health. They do this through:
• Developing and publishing guides that educate health professionals and
governments about the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of
infectious disease such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV
• Developing global strategies to combat health issues, for example the
Global Strategy on Dengue Fever
• Carrying out and funding research into disease prevention and control
• Monitoring health data on a global scale so trends can be identified and
health issues addressed
2. FOSTERING HEALTH SECURITY
• WHO worked to develop health security to reduce the spread of disease
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and therefore morbidity associated with such conditions.
Health security prevents the outbreaks of diseases such as influenza and
cholera. Many of these conditions are prone to epidemics and spread
quickly.
Both developing and developed countries are susceptible to outbreaks of
disease and as a result all countries must work together.
Factors such as globalisation, environmental degradation, the way food is
produced and traded, and the way medicines are used all contribute to
changing patterns in the spread of disease.
In order to deal with these threats to global health, the WHO;
• Supports national and international training programs to assist countries in preparing to
deal with epidemics
• Tracks the spread of diseases so interventions can be put in place to halt their
progress
• Encourages and assists countries to develop policies that decrease the risk of disease
outbreaks
• Developed the World Health Regulations, a document which outlines the measures
that countries should take to reduce the spread of disease- includes; airport control,
quarantine, resources to treat disease outbreaks.
3. STRENGTHENING HEALTH SYSTEMS
• WHO works to ensure health systems are available to all, particularly
the vulnerable and disadvantaged population groups.
• In order to strengthen health systems the WHO works to assist with:
• Providing adequate numbers of appropriately trained staff
• Providing sufficient financing
• Developing suitable systems for collecting vital statistics
• Increasing access to appropriate technology, including essential drugs
• The WHO provides policies on how to recruit and retain health
workers. Health workers often experience poor living and work
conditions
• E.G of this agenda: The provision of anti-retroviral medication for those with HIV is an
example of support that assists in achieving sustainable human development. These
drugs work by maintaining a person’s immune function, which helps to reduce
secondary infections and keeping them healthy. They are able to continue working and
leading a productive life, and provide resources such as education send health care for
their children (social sustainability).
4. HARNESSING RESEARCH, INFORMATION AND
EVIDENCE
• WHO develops evidence based health information to assist in improving global
health.
• Evidence is collected in the form of statistics, information and research and
provides the basis for setting priorities, developing strategies and measuring
results of interventions.
• WHO;
• develops evidence-based health information to assist in improving global health
• new developments are being made for disease prevention and treatment and
the management of health systems. The WHO works with other organisations
to ensure the most up-to-date research is available for improving health of
those in need.
• standardise health terminology, the way research is carried out and the
classification system used. This enables different groups to share resources
and dates across the globe with regards to diagnosis, treatment and prevention
of disease.
• has a range of policy options that can be tailored to meet the needs of each
country (road traffic accidents, violence against women and tobacco control).
• Works with the governments and statistical institutions of various countries to
collect data concerning trends and health-related issues
5. ENHANCING PARTNERSHIPS
• WHO provides leadership in regards to global health issues.
• While WHO is a leader in this area, the organization relies on the partnership, support
and cooperation of many other partners including United Nation agencies, donors,
governments, and private sectors.
• As WHO is able to provide evidence based information they are able to encourage its
partners to implement programs that are proven to promote global health.
PARTNERSHIP EXAMPLE: GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND
MALARIA.
• Partnership between WHO, government bodies, national civil society organisations (e.g.
local media), the private sector and communities living with or affected by the diseases.
• The fund provides the resources required by the local experts who run the actual
project.
• These resources include financial grants, mosquito nets, education, essential drugs
and diagnostic equipment.
• By providing these resources the infection rate and the impact of theses conditions is
reduced, which assists in prompting sustainable human development; as individuals are
able to work productively, achieve a decent standard of living and contribute to
decisions affecting their lives. Future generations will slso benefit as they will have a
greater chance of leading long healthy lives in accord with their needs and interests.
6. IMPROVING PERFORMANCE
• WHO aims to improve its organization and effectiveness
by continually reviewing practices and introducing
changes to the way it works when required.
• WHO monitors its actions.
• WHO works to ensure that its employees work in an
environment that is motivating and rewarding in order to
maximise performance
• By improving their performance WHO is able to work more
efficiently and therefore reach and improve the health and
development of more people.
Booklet activity- page 30
IDENTIFY THE WHO AGENDA BEING ADDRESSED IN THE EXAMPLES BELOW:
Assists countries to provide health care
Develops strategies to target HIV
Develops strategies to target Malaria
Develops and publishes resources to educate governments and those in health sectors
Assists countries to develop policies to decrease the risk of epidemics
Supports training programs to assist countries for disease outbreak
Developed the Works Health Regulations (2007) that outlines the measures that a country should take in the event of
a disease outbreak
Provides funding to strengthen health systems
Increases access to medical technology
Increases access to essential medicines
Increases access to HIV medication
Takes a leadership role to standardize data and research so it can be shared globally
Provides different policy options to help counties implement health actions
Produce guidelines such as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Provides grants to assist with techniques that may assist countries to control disease
Global Fund to Fight AIDS Partnership
Roll Back Malaria Partnership
Partnerships for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
WHO is currently working on the ‘WHO Reform’ which assess the way they operate and enables them to make
adjustments that will make them more efficient