The World Health Organisation

The World Health Organization

Introduction

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The World Health Organization (WHO) was established in 1948 to deal

with major health issues of the world. Some of the tasks the

organization looks after are to co-ordinate medical research, monitor

and combat the infectious diseases of the world, and to help

developing countries set up adequate health services. The WHO has over

150 member countries with its headquarters Geneva, Switzerland. The

aim of the WHO is ‘to help people attain the highest possible levels

of health.

The services of the agency may either be advisory or technical[1].

Some services include training of medical personnel, combating disease

outbreaks and epidemics, and publishing a series of technical and

scientific works.

The arrangement of WHO comprises the policymaking organization known

as the World Health Assembly, which consists of representatives of all

member nations and assembles yearly. This further comprises of an

exclusive board of 31 individuals elected by the assembly and a

secretariat, consisting of a director-general and a technical and

administrative staff. The agency has regional organizations for

Southeast Asia, the eastern Mediterranean area, Europe, Africa, the

Americas, and the western Pacific area1.

The WHO and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

====================================================

SARS is the first global epidemic of the 21st century that has shocked

the economic and tourism industries. I have very little knowledge on

epidemics and the SARS virus, therefore this is my chance to gain

awareness on this matter.

The first case of SA...

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(Current at 9 June 2003)

‘Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome’

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/severeacuterespiratorysyndrome.html

(Current at 9 June 2003)

‘Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)’

(Current at 9 June 2003)

‘Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)’ http://www.who.int/csr/sars

(Current at 9 June 2003)

CD-ROMs

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‘World Health Organisation’, ‘Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention’. ENCARTA 2000 ENCYCLOPAEDIA

Books

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Brooman J. ‘United Nations?’ 1990. Pg 22. Longman Group UK Ltd.

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[1] "World Health Organization," Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopaedia

2000. © 1993-1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.