/ Source from World Health Organization
Turning history’s page on its deadliest conflict, countries came together in 1948 to heal a bloodied world. Following years of war, distrust and pain, nations elevated the physical and mental well-being of people to a new level, forging a global pact and purpose to safeguard and advance health for all.
Lofty sentiment transformed into practical reality 75 years ago with the entry into force of the Constitution
of the World Health Organization, and WHO’s founding as the specialized
United Nations agency dedicated to promoting human health. WHO was
given a unique mandate to advance the well-being of all people, and
unique ability to convene all governments and partners at the same
table.
Fast forward to today, as WHO celebrates its 75th anniversary year
from World Health Day on 7 April, this mandate and convening ability
remains as vital as ever. At the same time, the world needs a renewal of
this commitment to put the health of all people first, from our
grandparents to our children born today and in the future.
COVID-19,
conflict, climate change and commercial causes of ill-health, like
unhealthy foods and tobacco, offer real reminders of how precarious our
lives are, and how, without constant commitment to advancing our
collective well-being, the fortunes of vulnerable communities worldwide
will remain at risk.
A
seminal line in WHO’s Constitution states “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 has guided WHO’s work to promote, provide and protect health for all. There have been many achievements along the way.
Among
the best-known is the eradication of the ancient scourge of smallpox.
Today, the world is on the verge of also eradicating polio, with annual
cases reducing by 99.9% since the 1980s. Other successes include
eliminating, or near-elimination of, five tropical diseases, making
childhood immunization close-to-universal, and setting 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
report on health emergencies with the potential of global spread. WHO
played a catalytic role in advancing the development and rollout of
first-ever 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 that the Organization, and the countries that created it, can be proud of.
But great challenges remain.
COVID
has shown how we, as a global community, are only as safe from pandemic
threats as the least prepared nation. Too many people lack access to
quality, affordable health services, instead suffering from preventable
or treatable ill-health.
Modern
concerns compound this, like the impacts of the climate crisis that
endanger millions from flood and drought, rampant air pollution, and the
wanton misinformation and disinformation bedevilling people’s health
choices.
There are also threats to people’s well-being driven by factors beyond health, including conflict, economic and commercial.
To meet these challenges, WHO has been changing and adapting to deliver better today, and for the next 75 years.
Our
work focusses on five areas: improving the level of health of all
people; ensuring everyone has equitable access to quality, 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 today’s and tomorrow’s demands.
In COVID’s wake, we are supporting countries negotiating an historic pandemic accord, rooted in the WHO Constitution, to prevent and respond to future pandemic threats collectively. Nations are also amending the International Health Regulations to make them relevant to a post-COVID world, and strengthening WHO’s financial, governance and operational base for a safer and healthier world.
The reasons for such measures are clear.
COVID
set back progress on achieving the health-related Sustainable
Development Goals, and caused incalculable human, social and economic
losses. So we must reclaim lost gains by redoubling efforts to make
universal health coverage a reality for all, driven by primary health
care, and strengthening national and global systems, from
state-of-the-art surveillance to investing in country preparedness, to
make a more secure world.
The
lifeblood of WHO’s work is science and evidence. Data-driven guidance
remains core work, helping WHO and countries invest resources where
health needs are greatest.
Access
to evidence-based advice also helps people make sound health choices.
This is critical today because, as COVID has shown, misinformation and
disinformation has made decision-making even harder and, in extreme
cases, deadly.
WHO
has been transforming its operations to effectively implement work on
all these fronts, and more, with a clear-eyed focus on delivering impact
at the community level.
Today, 75 years later, and after a new virus showed how vulnerable the world remains, the need for WHO is as vital now as ever. If the Organization had not been created all those years ago, we would have to create it today. So on WHO’s birthday, I thank all countries and partners for their commitment to laying WHO’s foundations in 1948, and continuing to strengthen them for a healthier, safer and fairer future for all.