WHO and Its Work

WHO and Its Work

WHO, also known as the World Health Organization is an intergovernmental agency of the United Nations dedicated to global public health. The WHO Constitution clearly states its aim as “the achievement by all nations of the highest standard of physical and social environment”. The WHO is totally dependent on contributions from its member countries for the efficient performance of its work. As of today, there are 5 WHO regions. These are Africa, Asia, Central and South America and Western Europe.

WHO is directly responsible for the monitoring and execution of its functions concerned with the global fight against disease and disability. WHO headquarters is located in Geneva. From this base, WHO continues to monitor and implement national programmes in all these areas. A large number of its activities are financed by general contributions made by member countries.

WHO has four regional offices namely, WHO Regional Offices in Europe, WHO Regional Office of Health Science in Asia Pacific, WHO Regional Office of Public Health in the Americas and WHO Middle East. Among these, the one located in Europe is considered to be the largest and most complex office having responsibility for a broad area of activities. The major activities of this office include preparing the WHO guidebook on diseases, promoting coordination of public information concerning health, developing preventive measures, implementing policies, providing support to the volunteer community in fighting disease and improving the quality of health care, conducting research and technical co-ordination among other activities. WHO is also accountable for the coordination of activities relating to the quality of health care delivery, promoting the education of persons concerned with health, developing guidelines and standards of practice relating to medical matters, participating in the exchange of information on health matters and disseminating technical data and materials concerning health.

WHO also has its specific tasks and objectives addressing the various aspects of occupational safety. One of these is “exposing workers to unexpected dangers on the job”, which involves educating and informing workers about risks and the control measures available for controlling accidents and health hazards. Another is “vetting workers against occupational illnesses” which involves regular evaluations of safety conditions in the workplaces. The objective of this activity is to reduce the risks of disability and death in the workplace.

WHO is responsible for the coordination of monitoring the safety of nursing home residents in their respective homes. It ensures that they are safe and protected from all forms of accidents and risks, and from sudden changes in surroundings. For this purpose, the role of a local office is fulfilled by WHO. Its responsibility includes ensuring that all who enter the nursing homes are examined by competent professionals and that all who leave the nursing home are insured.

WHO is also involved in the implementation of safety procedures and equipment in nursing homes. For instance, it provides training to the staff involved in the installation of protective equipments and devices and the maintenance of these devices. The use of such equipment and devices can reduce the risk of injury to nursing home residents and visitors, and to staff working in the vicinity. For instance, WHO helps to design the required safety protocol for the use of vacuum curtains, and to design the appropriate requirements and instructions for use of personal protective equipment (PPE). All these work plays an important role in protecting the interests of the WHO Members, their families as well as the general public.