World Health Organization Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids World Health Organization (WHO)
The headquarters in Geneva was designed by Jean Tschumi and inaugurated in 1966.
Org type	United Nations specialized agency
Status	Active
Headquarters	Geneva, Switzerland 46°13′56″N 06°08′03″E / 46.23222°N 6.13417°E / 46.23222; 6.13417

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a special agency of the United Nations. It works to improve health for everyone around the world. Its main office is in Geneva, Switzerland. The WHO also has many smaller offices in different regions and countries.

What is the WHO?
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What is the WHO?

The WHO was started on April 7, 1948. Its first meeting was held a few months later. This organization took over the work of older health groups, like the Health Organization of the League of Nations. It also took on important tools like the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The WHO truly began its important work in 1951. This was after it received a lot of money and expert help.

What the WHO Does

The main goal of the WHO is to make sure people are healthy and safe. It especially helps those who are most in need. Here are some of the things the WHO does:

It gives expert advice to countries on health matters.
It creates international rules and guidelines for health.
It gathers information about health problems around the world.
It provides a place for experts to talk about health science and policies.

The WHO publishes a report called the World Health Report. This report gives updates on health topics worldwide.

WHO's Big Achievements

The WHO has helped achieve many important health successes.

It led the effort to get rid of smallpox, a very dangerous disease. Smallpox has now been completely wiped out.
It is very close to getting rid of polio around the world.
It helped create a vaccine for the Ebola virus.

Current Health Priorities

Today, the WHO focuses on several key health areas.

Infectious diseases: These include illnesses like HIV/AIDS, Ebola, COVID-19, malaria, and tuberculosis.
Non-communicable diseases: These are diseases that don't spread from person to person, such as heart disease and cancer.
Healthy living: This involves promoting healthy eating, good nutrition, and making sure everyone has enough food.
Workplace safety: The WHO also works on keeping people safe and healthy at their jobs.

The WHO also supports universal health care. This means everyone should have access to health services. It helps watch for health risks and organizes responses to health emergencies. Overall, the WHO works to make sure people everywhere can live healthy and happy lives.

How the WHO is Run

The World Health Assembly (WHA) is in charge of the WHO. It is made up of representatives from all 194 member countries.

The WHA chooses an executive board of 34 health experts.
It picks the main leader of the WHO, called the Director-General. The current Director-General is Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
It decides on the WHO's goals and what it will focus on.
It also approves the budget and plans for the WHO's activities.

The WHO gets most of its money from its member countries. It also receives money from private groups. The budget for 2024-2025 is about $6.83 billion.

World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7. This day marks the founding of the WHO.

Images for kids

WHO Headquarters in Geneva
Alexey Yablokov (left) and Vassili Nesterenko (farthest right) protesting in front of the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland in 2008.
Demonstration on Chernobyl disaster day near WHO in Geneva
Three former directors of the Global Smallpox Eradication Programme read the news that smallpox had been globally eradicated, 1980
On a 1966 stamp of the German Democratic Republic
Stairwell, 1969
Internal courtyard, 1969
Reflecting pool, 1969
Exterior, 1969
WHO Headquarters from Southwest
WHO Headquarters from South
WHO Headquarters from East
WHO Headquarters from North
WHO Headquarters from West
WHO Headquarters main conference room

World Health Organization facts for kids

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