History of the World Health Organization: A Quick Overview
Today marks another anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations specialised agency responsible for leading international cooperation in public health. Over the decades, the WHO has evolved from an idea born after a devastating conflict into the leading global body defending the physical, mental and social wellbeing of all people.
The history of the WHO has its immediate roots in the aftermath of the Second World War. In 1945, as the world reorganised itself around the newly created United Nations (UN), representatives of Brazil and China at the San Francisco Conference proposed the creation of an international body dedicated exclusively to health. The emergence of global health problems and inequities in medical care drove a growing consensus among the participating countries.
As a result of these deliberations, the International Health Conference was held in New York between 19 June and 22 July 1946, at which the Constitution of the World Health Organization was drafted and adopted. The signing of the document by 51 UN member states and 10 additional countries marked the formal birth of the organisation. Although that founding act took place in 1946, it was on 7 April 1948 that the WHO Constitution entered into force, a date that has been celebrated every year since as World Health Day.
With the launch of its first World Health Assembly that same year, the WHO began its work with clear and ambitious objectives. A budget of US$5 million was approved for 1949 and Dr G. Brock Chisholm was appointed as the first Director-General, while Andrija Štampar chaired the Assembly. The priorities set reflected the great needs of the time: malaria control, tuberculosis eradication, the fight against sexually transmitted infections, and improvements in maternal and child health, nutrition and environmental hygiene. The organisation also legislated on the collection of health statistics, cementing its role as a technical and normative authority.
Since then, the WHO has grown into a global cooperation network spanning 150 field offices and six regional offices, with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Its mission is defined as achieving “the highest possible level of health for all”, understanding health not only as the absence of disease but as complete wellbeing. This approach has guided countless global campaigns and policies that have marked milestones in world public health.
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Among the organisation's most emblematic achievements is the eradication of smallpox, one of the greatest collective accomplishments in the history of modern medicine. It has also driven global vaccination programmes and strategies to control infectious diseases such as polio, and has coordinated responses to international health emergencies, establishing itself as a key player in health defence during crises such as pandemics, epidemic outbreaks and emerging health threats.
The WHO has also been a platform for setting the norms and standards that guide health internationally. From diagnostic classifications to guidance on medical practice and the promotion of healthy lifestyles, its influence transcends borders. The organisation has also consistently advocated for health equity, technical assistance to developing countries and the strengthening of health systems so that every nation can better respond to its health challenges.
Today, more than seven decades after its founding, the World Health Organization continues to face complex challenges. Demographic trends, the rise in non-communicable diseases, unequal access to health services and global health emergencies demand coordinated responses that only a body with the reach and legitimacy of the WHO can lead effectively. Its history, marked by successes, debates and adaptations, reflects the importance of international cooperation in an interdependent world where one person's health affects everyone.
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Press contact:
World Health Organization — Global Communications Office
www.who.int
