GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Important International Institutions, agencies and fora – their Structure, Mandate
Source: IE
Context: Despite some great successes, the 75-year-old World Health Organization (WHO) has received its fair share of criticism.
The World Health Organization (WHO):
- It is a specialised agency of the UN (HQ – Geneva, Switzerland) established on 7 April (World Health Day) 1948 and is responsible for international public health.
- Members: 194 member states
- The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of the WHO
- Composed of health ministers from member states, WHA selects the director-general of the WHO (currently – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia).
Mandate:
- Working worldwide to promote health and well-being → serving the vulnerable,
- Coordinating responses to health emergencies,
- Providing technical assistance to countries → Set international health standards
Achievements:
- Eradication of smallpox (1980) – the only human disease to be eradicated, the near-eradication of polio, and the development of an Ebola
- Efforts helped in realising the goal of health as a human right.
Current priorities include:
- Communicable diseases: HIV/AIDS, Ebola, COVID-19, malaria and tuberculosis
- Non-communicable diseases: Heart disease and cancer; healthy diet, nutrition, and food security; occupational health; and substance abuse.
The failed attempts of WHO:
- Eradication of malaria: The WHO launched the Global Malaria Eradication Programme (1955). But there was little/no progress and the program was discontinued in 1969.
- COVID-19: Some critics complained that the WHO failed in the early detection of the disease and was not doing enough to support member states.
Main issues faced by the WHO:
- Stymied by a divided world with nations advancing their own interests at the cost of others.
- WHO does not have the authority –
- to enforce its recommendations.
- to take action in a member state unless that member state asks for help.
- The funding mechanism (voluntary contributions) lacks transparency and accountability framework.
Changes made by the WHO to its structure: It now cooperates with tech companies and relies to a lesser degree on national governments for crucial health information → lowering the chances of missing the start of another serious disease outbreak.
Challenges and way ahead:
- The world will experience more frequent and more severe health threats in the future.
- It means there is a need to come together around joint priorities and support WHO to –
- Strengthen the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) declaration process
- Devise a collaborative mechanism to disburse funding for projects without bias.
Conclusion: These reforms will help the WHO to become a truly global health enforcement policy.
Insta Links:
Mains Links:
Critically examine the role of WHO in providing global health security during the COVID-19 pandemic. (UPSC 2020)
