World Health Organisation at 75

Science, Solutions and Solidarity ensure the United Nations health agency remains central to protecting future health

COMMENT | Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus | Turning history’s page on its deadliest conflict, countries came together in 1948 to heal a bloodied world. After years of war, distrust and pain, nations across the globe forged a global pact to safeguard and advance health for all.

That lofty ambition became practical reality on 7 April 1948, when the Constitution of the World Health Organisation (WHO) came into force. WHO’s founding as a specialised United Nations agency dedicated to promoting human health gave the organisation a unique mandate to elevate the wellbeing of all people – and a unique ability to convene all governments and partners at the same table.

Fast forward to the present. As WHO celebrates its 75th anniversary year on World Health Day, its mandate and convening ability remain as vital as ever. At the same time, the world needs a renewal of its commitment to put the health of all people first, from our grandparents to our children born today and in the future. This principle guides WHO’s work. WHO’s mandate is to promote, provide and protect health for all.

SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19), conflict, climate change and commercial causes of ill-health, like unhealthy foods and tobacco, offer reminders of the precarious nature of our lives. Without constant commitment to advancing our collective wellbeing, the fortunes of vulnerable communities worldwide will remain at risk. A clear-eyed focus on delivering impact at the community level is essential.

A seminal line in WHO’s Constitution says that “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.” This value continues to guide our work and underpins our accomplishments.

Among the most notable achievements of WHO is the eradication of the ancient scourge of smallpox, declared by WHO member states in 1980. Today, the world is on the verge of also eradicating polio, with annual cases reduced by 99.9% since the 1980s. Other successes include elimination, or near-elimination, of five tropical diseases, aided by increased childhood immunisation and global standards for safe drinking water.

Furthermore, WHO has supported countries to adopt a landmark treaty on tobacco control, regulate aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes, and share information on health emergencies with the potential of global spread. WHO played a catalytic role in advancing the development and rollout of the first vaccines against Ebola and malaria, which are now saving lives across Africa. WHO’s work in humanitarian settings has provided life-saving care to millions. The list continues.

As WHO marks its 75th year, there is much in which the organisation, and the countries that created it, can be proud. But great challenges remain. WHO is changing and adapting – to apply lessons learned to future challenges.

Covid has shown that the global community is only as secure from pandemic threats as the least prepared nation. Lack of access to quality, affordable health services, climate-induced food shortages, rampant air pollution and ubiquitous misinformation and disinformation campaigns further compromise people’s health.

Our future plans focus on five areas: improving the level of health of all people, ensuring everyone has equitable access to quality and affordable health services, protecting the world against novel and known pathogens, empowering science and scientific information to support good health; and strengthening WHO to meet the demands of today and tomorrow.

In Covid’s wake, we are supporting countries negotiating an historic pandemic accord, rooted in the WHO Constitution, to prevent and respond to threats collectively. Nations also are amending the International Health Regulations to be relevant to a post-Covid world, and is strengthening financial, governance and operational systems.

The need for such measures is clear. Covid set back progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals, and caused incalculable human, social and economic losses. We must reclaim lost gains by intensifying efforts to make universal health coverage a reality for all, driven by primary health care, and by strengthening national and global systems, from state-of-the-art surveillance to investing in country preparedness.

Data-driven guidance enables WHO members to invest resources where needs are greatest.

Access to evidence-based advice helps people make sound health choices. As Covid has shown, misinformation and disinformation have made decision-making for countries and individuals more difficult and, in extreme cases, deadly.

Three-quarters of a century after its founding, the need for an efficient, effective World Health Organisation is as vital now as ever. If the Organisation had not been created all those years ago, we would have to create it today. On WHO’s birthday, I thank all countries and partners for their commitment to laying WHO’s foundations in 1948, and to continuing to strengthen them for a healthier, safer and fairer future for all.

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Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is Director-General of the World Health Organisation.