INTERNATIONAL

HEALTH AGENCIES

KATHIRESAN R
PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY
 SYNOPSIS
• INTRODUCTION
• WHO
• UNICEF
• UNDP
• FAO
• ILO
• WORLD BANK
• BILATERAL AGENCIES
• NON GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES
• CONCLUSION
 INTRODUCTION
NOTHING ON EARTH IS MORE INTERNATIONAL
THAN DISEASE
• Health and disease have no political boundary.

• QUARANTINE – 40 DAYS IN EUROPE

• Pan American Sanitary Bureau – 1902
• The Health Organization of League of Nation-1923.

• The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration

- 1943
 WHO
• Specialized non political health agency.
• Head Quarters – Geneva.
• 1946–The constitution was drafted by Technical preparatory
committee by Dr. Rene Sand.
• April 7, 1948 – World Health Day.
• A world health day theme is chosen on each year to focus
attention on specific aspects of public health.
• 2017 Theme – Depression.
• 2018 & 2019 Theme – Universal Coverage Everyone
Everywhere.
• 2020 Theme – Support Nurses and Midwives.
 OBJECTIVES - WHO
• The attainment by all the people of the highest level of
health that permit them to lead a socially and economically
a productive life.
• Enjoyment of highest standard of health.
• Eradication of communicable diseases.
MAJOR POLICY INFLUENCED WHO
• Alma – Ata declaration 1978.
• Health for all by 2000.
 MEMBERSHIP
• Open to all countries.
• Some countries are part of both UN & WHO and some
countries are not.
• EG – Switzerland (Part of WHO, Not UN).
• 1948 – 56 Members.

• Currently 194 Members and 2 Associate members.

 WORKS
• PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF SPECIFIC DISEASES
• All communicable diseases are sometimes the subject of
WHO.
• Global eradication of Small pox.
• Currently working on global eradication of Poliomyelitis.
• Epidemiologic Surveillance through.
• ATRS – Automatic Tele Reply Service.
• WER – Weekly Epidemiological Record.
• Expanded programme on Immunization for common
childhood diseases.
• COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICE
• Promote and support National Health Policy Development.

• Organizing Programme based on Primary Health care.

• ATH – Appropriate Technology for Health.
• FAMILY HEALTH
• Since 1970.

• Maternal Health Care.

• Child care.

• Human Reproduction and Family planning.

• Nutrition.

• Health Education.

• To improve Quality of life of a family as a unit .

• ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
• Promotion of environmental health.

• Improvement of basic sanitary services.

• Protection of quality of air, water & food.
• Health condition of workers.

• Radiation protection.
• Early identification of new hazards.
• HEALTH STATISTICS
• Maintaining morbidity and mortality statistics from 1947.
• The datas are released.

• World health statistics – Quarterly and Annually.

• Readers who are interested in obtaining current data can obtain
from chief statistician.
• International Classification of Diseases which is updated every
10 year for comparison with other countries..
• BIO-MEDICAL RESEARCH
• No direct involvement.

• Encourage research by giving grants.

• HEALTH LITERATURE AND INFORMATION
• MEDLARS – Medical Literature Analysis and Review System,
fully computerized WHO satellite centre.
 STRUCTURE - WHO
• THE WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY
• THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
• THE SECRETRIAT

THE WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY

• Health parliment of association.
• Meets up annually in May at Geneva and sometimes also
in other countries.
 FUNCTION
• To determine International Health Policy.
• Review of work of past year.
• To approve budget.
• To elect member of states.

• Technical Discussion.
• Appoint Director General of nomination of executive board.
• THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
• Initially it had 18 Members headed by a Member state.
• Later it had 24, 30 members and currently it has 34 members.
• Members should be technically qualified in the field of health.
• Meets atleast twice a year (January and May).
• Decision and policy making.
• THE SECRETARIAT
• Headed by Director General.
• To provide technical and managerial support for national
development programme.
• Epidemiological Surveillance.

• Control of communicable and Non communicable diseases.

• Vector biology and control.
• Environmental health.
• Public information and education.
• Mental and Family Health.
• Budget and Financing.
• 1948 – 240 staffs.
• 1985 – 4475 staffs.
• 2010 – 8000 staffs.
 REGIONS
• Six regions across World.
• The Americas – Washington DC
• Europe – Denmark
• East Mediterranean – Egypt
• Western Pacific – Manila
• Africa – Congo
• South East Asia – New Delhi
 SOUTH EAST ASIAN REGION
• Head quarters – New Delhi.
• Composed of 11 Members.
• Eradication of Malaria.

• Vaccination & Immunization.

• Health Laboratory Services.
• Rural Health Services.
• Child Health and Mental Health.
• Quality of control of drug.
• Health education.
 UNICEF – UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL
CHILDRENS EMERGENCY FUND

• Specialised agencies of United Nations.

• Established in 1946 as UN General Assembly to help childrens in
war ravaged countries.
• Once the war ends in 1953, they renamed as UN Children’s Fund,
but retained the initial UNICEF.
• Head quarters – New York.
• Asian Regional Office – New Delhi.
• In 2010 – Governed by 36 members.
 WORKS
• In the beginning, UNICEF and WHO worked together in
Eradication of Malaria, Tuberculosis, and venereal diseases..
• Currently – Maternal and child health care.
• New concept – WHOLE CHILD (Complete care for children).
 SERVICES
• CHILD HEALTH AND NUTRITION
• FAMILY AND CHILD WELFARE
• EDUCATION
• CHILD HEALTH
• Helps in production of vaccines and sera in many countries.

• Supports BCG vaccination in India.

• Assist in erection of penicillin plant in Pune (FOR triple vaccine and

iodized salt).
• Health care of mother.
 CHILD HEALTH AND NUTRITION
• 1950 – Low cost protein diet in collaboration with Food and
Agricultural Organization.
• Supplies equipment for dairy industry in Indian states of
Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
• Provides Vitamin A in xeropthalmia prevalent areas.
• Enrichment of salt in Goitre prevalent areas.
 FAMILY AND CHILD WELFARE

• Improve welfare of children.

• Parent education.
• Day care centres.
• Youth agencies.
 EDUCATION

• GOBI CAMPAIGN
• G – Growth charts.
• O – Oral rehydration.
• B – Breast feeding.
• I – Immunization.
• Health education and Promotion.
• UBS – Urban Basic Services which was established in 1976
for improving basic services like Health Nutrition, Sanitation,
Water Supply, Birth Spacing and Education.
 UNDP - UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME

• Established in 1966.
• The main objective is to funding and providing technical
assistance to poorer nations in the field of Agriculture,
Industry, Education, Science, Health and Social Welfare.
 FAO – FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL
ORGANIZATION
• Established in 1945.
• Head quarters – Rome.
• OBJECTIVES
• Improve national living standards.

• Improve Nutritional status of population.

• Improve efficiency in farming, fisheries and forestry.
• Improve quality of life in rural population.
• PRIME CONCERN
• To increase production of food to cope up with increasing
world population.
• Applied Nutritional programme.
• Nutritional Survey.
ILO – INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION

• Established in 1919.
• Head quarters – Geneva.
• The main aim is to improve the living conditions of labours.
• Setting standards.

• Promote economical and social stability of labour.

 WORLD BANK
• Specalised agency of United Nation.
• The main aim is to improve the living standards of less
developed countries by providing loans.
• Assist Indian government in INDIAN POPULATION PROJECT.
• The prime concern is to improve Electricity, Road services,
Railway services, Water supply and Family planning of less
developed countries.
 BILATERAL AGENCIES

• USAID

• THE COLOMBO PLAN

• SIDA

• DANIDA
 USAID – UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Extends aid to India through
• The public law 480 programmes.
• US export and import bank.
• PRIME CONCERN
• Medical and Nursing Education.
• Health Education.
• Water supply.
• Control of communicable diseases.
• Nutrition and family planning.
 THE COLOMBO PLAN
• Established in the year 1950.
• Co operative economic development in South East Asia.
• Regional members – 20 countries.
• Non Regional members – 6 countries (Australia, Canada,
New Zealand, Japan, United Kingdom, USA).
• Providing financial assistance to AIIMS, New Delhi
 SIDA – SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENTAL AGENCY
• Assisting in National Tuberculosis Control Programme since
1979.
• Provides X-Ray equipments, Microscope, and Anti tubercular
drugs.
 DANIDA – DENMARK INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENTAL AGENCY

• By Government of Denmark.

• Providing assistance in National Blindness Control

Programme since 1978.
 NON GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES

• ROCKFELLER FOUNDATION

• FORD FOUNDATION
• CARE
• INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS
• INDIAN RED CROSS
 ROCKFELLER FOUNDATION
• Philanthropic organization established in the year 1913 by
Mr.John D Rockfeller.
• The main motto is to promote well being of man kind.
• 1920 – Control of Hookworm infection in Madras.
• Established Institute for All India Institute for Publlic Health
in Kolkata.
• Providing grants for public health researches
 FORD FOUNDATION
• To improve rural health services and family planning.
• Assist India in
• Pilot project in Rural Health services (Gandhigram).
• Kolkata Water supply and Drainage Schemes.

• Family planning programme.

• Assist in establishing National Institute of Health and Family
welfare in New Delhi.
 CARE – CO-OPERATIVE FOR ASSISTANCE AND
RELIEF EVERYWHERE

• Established in 1945 in North America.

• In 1950 – Established in India.

• The prime concern is Food distribution in India.
• Integrated Nutrition and Health programmes.
• Health care of adolescent girls.
 INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS
• Non political International Humanitarian Organization.
• Primarily started for helping the wounded soldiers in war.
• The prime concern is Disaster management, First aid,
Nursing, and Health education.
 FAQ’S

• WHO

• UNICEF

• INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AGENCIES ACROSS

THE WORLD
 REFERENCES

• WHO – 1976- INTRODUCING WHO

• TEXTBOOK OF PREVENTIVE AND SOCIAL MEDICINE – K PARK

– 23RD EDITION
THANK YOU