South Africa became a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) The mission of the WHO in South Africa is to promote the attainment of the highest sustainable level of health by all people living in South Africa through collaboration with the government and other partners in health development and the provision of technical and logistic support to country programmes. The World Health Organization is a member of the United Nations Development Group.77As of 2013, the WHO had 194 member states. A state becomes a full member of WHO by ratifying the treaty known
76 Lim MK “Health Care System in transition II” Singapore, Part I An overview of the health care systems in Singapore, Journal of public Health Medicine, 1998, 20 16-22; Lim Kim “Shifting the burden of health Care finance.
77 World Health Organisation – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.htm#_note67.
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as the Constitution of the World Health Organization. The WHO Constitution states that its objective "is the attainment by all people of the highest possible level of health".78
The World Health Assembly is the legislative and supreme body of WHO based in Geneva. The World Health Organization's primary objective in natural and man-made emergencies is to coordinate with Member States and other stakeholders to "reduce avoidable loss of life and the burden of disease and disability."WHO addresses government health policy with two aims: firstly, "to address the underlying social and economic determinants of health through policies and programmes that enhance health equity and integrate pro-poor, gender-responsive, and human rights-based approaches" and secondly
"to promote a healthier environment, intensify primary prevention and influence public policies in all sectors so as to address the root causes of environmental threats to health".79
The organization develops and promotes the use of evidence-based tools, norms and standards to support member states to inform health policy options. It oversees the implementation of the International Health Regulations, and publishes a series of medical classifications; of these, three are overreaching "reference classifications":
the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD), the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI). Other international policy frameworks produced by WHO include the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (adopted in 1981), Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (adopted in 2003) and the Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (adopted in 2010). 80
In terms of health services, WHO looks to improve "governance, financing, staffing and management" and the availability and quality of evidence and research to guide policy making. It also strives to "ensure improved access, quality and use of medical
78 Constitution of the World Health Organization – constitution was adopted by the International health conference held in New York from 19 June to 22 July 1946, signed on the 22 of July 1946 by representatives of 61 states (Off. Rec. Wld Org,2,100), and entered into force on 7 April in 1948.
Amendments adopted by the twenty sixth, twenty ninth, Thirty ninth and Fifty first World Health Assemblies (resolutions WHA26.37, WHA29.38, WHA39.6 andwha51.23) came into force on the 3rd of February1977,20 January1984, 11 July 1994, and 15 September 2005 respectively and are incorporated in the present test.
79 World Health Organisation – Programmes of budget 2012 – 2013, WHO retrieved on the 24 May 2015.
80 International health regulations adopted by the World Health Organization -www.who.int/../who_constitution_en.pdf.
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products and technologies". WHO fulfils its objective through its functions as defined in its Constitution:
(1) To act as the directing and co-ordinating authority on international health work.
(2) To establish and maintain effective collaboration with the United Nations, specialized agencies, governmental health administrations, professional groups and such other organizations as may be deemed appropriate.
(3) To assist Governments, upon request, in strengthening health services.
(4) To furnish appropriate technical assistance and, in emergencies, necessary aid upon the request or acceptance of Governments.
(5) To provide or assist in providing, upon the request of the United Nations, health services and facilities to special groups, such as the peoples of trust territories.
(6) To establish and maintain such administrative and technical services as may be required, including epidemiological and statistical services.
(7) To stimulate and advance work to eradicate epidemic, endemic and other diseases.
(8) To promote, in co-operation with other specialized agencies where necessary, the prevention of accidental injuries.
(9) To promote, in co-operation with other specialized agencies where necessary, the improvement of nutrition, housing, sanitation, recreation, economic or working conditions and other aspects of environmental hygiene.
(10) To promote co-operation among scientific and professional groups which contribute to the advancement of health.
(11) To propose conventions, agreements and regulations, and make recommendations with respect to international health matters and to perform.
WHO currently defines its role in public health as follows.81
Providing leadership on matters critical to health and engaging in partnerships where joint action is needed;
Shaping the research agenda and stimulating the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge;
Setting norms and standards and promoting and monitoring their implementation,
Articulating ethical and evidence-based policy options;
81 Ibid – 51.
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Providing technical support, catalysing change, and building sustainable institutional capacity;
And monitoring the health situation and assessing health trends.