GoKawiilThis July marked 80 years since representatives of 61 states signed the constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO) in New York City. The founders understood that diseases do not respect borders, and that progress depends on countries working towards a common goal.
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Over the past eight decades, working with more than 190 member states and other partners, the WHO has helped to eradicate smallpox, driven progress towards wiping out polio, expanded access to life-saving vaccines and led the global fight against HIV. It has strengthened health-care systems, set health standards and helped to save millions of lives through efforts to improve tobacco control, water and air quality and sanitation.
As a result, people today live more than 25 years longer, on average, than they did 80 years ago. Far fewer women die during pregnancy and childbirth, and many more children survive and thrive past their fifth birthday.
These health gains come down to one choice: cooperation over isolation. Events this year show that the vision behind the WHO constitution is just as necessary today.
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The current Ebola epidemic in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, cases of measles surging across the Americas and the now-ended hantavirus outbreak are reminders that health threats can emerge anywhere and affect anyone. The COVID-19 pandemic, the most severe health crisis in a century, showed that no country can tackle such health threats alone.
The WHO’s strength lies in its ability to bring together health leaders, scientists and the global health community to tackle shared challenges and find solutions, to set global standards and coordinate action in times of crisis. That value was demonstrated again last year, when member states adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement. This treaty applies the lessons of COVID-19 to make the world more equitable and better prepared for future pandemics.
But cooperation isn’t enough: countries also need greater capacity to respond to health crises. The WHO’s Universal Health and Preparedness Review helps countries to identify gaps in their ability to respond to health emergencies. Through the Pandemic Fund, the WHO and the World Bank have supported projects in 70 countries to strengthen disease surveillance, laboratory networks, health workforces and coordination across sectors.