World Health Organization (WHO)
WHO is an organization of 194 Member States. The Member States elect the Director-General, who leads the organization in achieving its global health goals. See here for more details on What is Who.
WHO Secretariat
WHO’s Secretariat includes experts, staff and field workers at our Geneva-based headquarters, 6 Regional Offices and other stations located in 150+ countries around the world.
WHO works with all Member States to support them to achieve the highest standard of health for all people. Our staff working in countries advise ministries of health and other sectors on public health issues and provide support to plan, implement and monitor health programs.
The World Health Assembly is WHO’s highest level decision-making forum. Every year, delegates from all Member States convene at the World Health Assembly to set priorities and chart a course for global health progress. This year the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly was being held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 27 May – 1 June 2024. The theme of the assembly was WHA77 All for Health, Health for All.
WHO has developed a number of Guidelines which contain recommendations for clinical practice or public health policy. These are statements designed to help end-users make informed decisions on whether, when and how to undertake specific actions such as clinical interventions, diagnostic tests or public health measures, with the aim of achieving the best possible individual or collective health outcomes.
WHO also has a wealth of Publications, Documents and Regulatory Harmonization Initiatives as well as the worlds leading library on public health, also known as the WHO Library.
Please see here for information on WHO Regulatory Harmonization Initiatives
Please see here for information about WHO Publications and Guidelines
Please see here for information about the WHO Library and Digital Information Networks