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WHO
WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION - WHO
A specialized agency of the United Nation, WHO promotes technical cooperation for health among nations, carries out programmes to control and eradicate disease and strives to improve the quality of human life.
Mission
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The objective of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health, as defined in the WHO Constitution, is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
WHO also proposes conventions, agreements, regulations and makes recommendations about international nomenclature of diseases, causes of death and public health practices. It develops, establishes and promotes international standards concerning foods and biological, pharmaceutical and similar substances.
Membership
WHO has 192 members.
Background
Founded in 1948, the World Health Organization leads the world alliance for “Health for All”. The WHO Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948 (now marked as World Health Day each year).
Funding
Members’ set contributions, as well as voluntary contributions from Member States and other sources.
Structure
The World Health Assembly (WHA) meets annually in May in Geneva. The WHA comprises delegates from all Member States. Its main function is to determine the policies of the Organization. elect the Director-General (DG); supervise the financial policies of the Organization and review and approves the budget.
WHA reviews and approves reports of the Executive Board (EB) and instructs the EB in regard to matters upon which further action, study, investigation or report may be required. Meetings of the WHA are held in plenary and in two committees:
- Committee A deals predominantly with programme and budget matters and
- Committee B deals predominantly with administrative, financial and legal matters.
The EB meets twice a year in Geneva: January (the main meeting) and immediately after the World Health Assembly in May (a short meeting). The EB comprises 32 members, technically qualified in the field of health, designated by Member States.
Countries entitled to designate members of the Executive Board are elected by the WHA.
Regional Committees are composed of representatives of Member States and Associate Members in the region concerned. These committees usually meet once a year, generally in the early autumn. The Regional Committees concentrate on issues which are of particular interest to the region.
Staff
Approximately 3,800 people comprising the Secretariat in Geneva and throughout the world.
The Executive Board in agreement with the regional committees appoints the Regional Directors. DG/Regional Directors are elected. All other staff are appointed.
WHO Activities of relevance to the hospitality industry
- Food Safety
- Diet & Nutrition (Obesity, Health Claims)
- Food labelling (WHO/Codex Alimentarius)
- Tobacco Free Initiative
- Roll Back Malaria, Tuberculosis Programmes
- HIV/AIDS Programme (cf IH&RA –UNAIDS “The Challenge of HIV/AIDS in the Workplace: A Guide for the Hospitality Industry”)
- Revision of International Health Regulations, 2005
- Revision of International Travel & Health recommendations (surveillance information & international travel awareness)
WHO Recent Instruments & Reports of relevance to the hospitality industry
- Framework Convention on Tobacco Control , unanimously adopted by 192 Members in 2003 (to date ratified by 57 countries) It will enter into force on 27 February 2005
- Report on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases , 2003
- Responding to the avian influenza pandemic threat, 2005
IH&RA Relations with WHO
IH&RA has ongoing contacts with WHO on all the above areas and regularly attends the annual Meeting of Interested Parties involving the private sector. Contact is channelled through the Department in charge of Government & Private Sector Relations.
Key contacts
Dr. Jong-Wook Lee, Director General
Dr. Catherine Le Galès Camus, Asst. DG – Non-Communicable Diseases
Dr Suzanne Holck, Director Gvt. & Private Sector Relations
Dr Timothy Armstrong, Global Strategy for Diet, Physical Activity & Health
Dr Isabelle Nutall, International Travel & Health
Dr Max Hardiman, Communicable Disease Surveillance
Address: 20, avenue Appia
CH-1221 27 Geneva, Switzerland
Phone No: +41 22 791 21 11
Fax No: +41 22 791 31 11
Web site: www.who.org
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