The World Health Organization (WHO), headquartered in Geneva, began activity on April 7 1948 in order to improve equity in health, reduce health risks, combat diseases and stop further international spread of viruses. It is one of the United Nations specialized agency working in 150 countries. Over the years, the WHO has conducted the service of epidemic warnings. WHO gathers information, makes recommendations and regulations to health authorities, informs people about health emergency, monitors programs, and provides international quarantine. The organization focuses on disease prevention and control of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, influenza, malaria, bio-medical researchers and statistics. WHO spreads its activity all over the world. It has numerous field offices and six regional committees such as Pan-American Health Organization, regional organizations for Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific Region.
There are two main sources of funding to the WHO’s budget: contributions of Member States and voluntary donations. For example, the Rockefeller Foundation contributes greatly to the WHO’s budget. WHO delivers humanitarian aid across different countries. Siege in Syria cut people off from access to basic resources. Bomb attacks on hospitals deprived thousands of people of life-saving treatment. WHO helps people in need with medical supplies of antibiotics, insulin, medical equipment and services for life-saving care. (World Health Organization, [WHO], 2016). In addition, WHO delivers nutritional supplies for hungry children and adults trapped in warfare zones. People also can benefit from immunization supported by WHO. It continues to support African people with vaccines. In summer 2016, millions of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola vaccinated against yellow fever. On 13 January WHO launched a mass measles vaccination campaign in Nigeria to protect vulnerable children and limit the spread of disease. Nurses play an active role in contagious disease prevention and monitoring diseases like polio and measles. Public health nurse is the main health workforce with wide variations of services at workplace such as vaccination campaigns, recovering operations, in preventing diseases and delivering first aid to patients.
References
World Health Organization. (2016). WHO reaches more people in need with lifesaving treatments in Duma. Retrieved January 19, 2017, from http://www.emro.who.int/media/news/who-reaches-more-people-in-need-with-lifesaving-treatments-in-duma.html
