World Health Organization
The WHO, also known as the World Health Organization, also works to safeguard the health of all people. We cannot consider it only as an agency of the United Nations; rather, it is a beacon of health for millions of people around the world. WHO was founded on April 7, 1948, which is why we celebrate World Health Day every year on April 7.
It is also very important for all of us to understand how the WHO organization works. To begin with, the WHO structure is divided into three parts. First is the World Health Assembly, where representatives from all member countries gather in Geneva each year to make major decisions. The second part is the governing or executive board, which includes 34 experts whose job is to ensure that the policies being formulated are being implemented properly or not. And finally, the third part of the WHO structure is the Secretariat, where more than 8,000 staff work day and night in various regions of the world, fighting diseases.
Where is the World Health Organization Located?
The main headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) is in a very beautiful city in Switzerland, Geneva. On a road called Avenue Appia, right near the offices of the United Nations, there is a large and modern campus for them. This is the central place where the country’s leading scientists and top doctors come together to make major decisions for global health security. The full address is Avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
WHO is not limited to just one city or office because safeguarding the health of the entire world cannot be accomplished from a single location. Therefore, the WHO has divided the world into six distinct regions, and each region has its own large centre. In Washington, DC, USA, there is an office known as PAHO; in South-East Asia, its office is in New Delhi, India; in Africa (AFRO), Brazzaville, Republic of Congo; Europe’s headquarters is in Copenhagen, Denmark; in the Eastern Mediterranean, its office is in Cairo, Egypt; and in the Western Pacific, its main office is in Manila, Philippines, these all are six regions.
Relations between the USA and WHO
If we talk about today, 2026, the relationship between the WHO and the USA is not at all what it used to be. The United States has formally separated from the WHO, and with the end of the United States’ membership on January 22, 2026, the number of member countries in the WHO has fallen from 194 to 193. It’s also noteworthy that this tension is not new; during the COVID-19 period in 2020, there were discussions about withholding funds, and currently, there is roughly a $278 million outstanding balance owed by America. Given this, one can estimate that the impact could be felt on global health projects as well.
WHO Achievements
Although the WHO has achieved many great successes, in 1980, its biggest accomplishment was eradicating. The WHO’s current 2026 focus is on ensuring that vaccine-derived polio (Type 2) is also completely snuffed out, as large-scale vaccination campaigns in 2025 have brought us closer than ever to a polio-free world. and recently, by the end of 2025, to reach malaria vaccines at a large scale in Africa.
If we discuss it, in May 2025, countries around the world have collectively adopted the Pandemic Agreement. In a way, it is considered a global pact created to protect against future pandemics like COVID-19. Its main purpose or aim is to ensure that medicines and vaccines do not remain limited to wealthy countries, but reach even small countries promptly.
With the help of the WHO, the Maldives has become the first country in the world to eliminate infections in babies born to mothers with HIV, syphilis, or hepatitis B.
By the start of 2026, the WHO will have prepared standards to deliver health services in many villages using digital health and AI, so that medicines are accessible even in small villages and no one is left out of any health services.
Growth Pattern
We need to understand very well why the growth pattern in health and economy is beneficial and why its necessity is important.
When we talk about health and economy, explaining the growth pattern becomes essential because we know that development is not always the same, and there are different forms:
Linear Growth Pattern – Linear growth is the most straightforward. It increases at a steady rate over time, and if we plot it on a graph, it appears as a straight line. For example, having a fixed salary.
Exponential Growth Pattern – This is considered the most startling and dangerous pattern because its rate starts slowly and then suddenly becomes very rapid, making it quite difficult to manage. If we look at this graph, it resembles a J-curve.
Logistic Growth Pattern – If we discuss nature, the logistic pattern is the most commonly observed growth pattern. No entity can grow indefinitely in an unbounded way because there are limits to space, food, and resources. This growth is fast at first, but as it approaches its maximum limit, the rate of growth slows down and then stabilises. It is called the “S-curve.” This pattern teaches us that balance is the foundation of life.
If we discuss which pattern is the best, it depends on the perspective from which we view it. For example, from an environmental perspective, Logistic Growth is the best because it does not exhaust resources and remains sustainable for a long time. And if we discuss the investment perspective, Exponential Growth is the best for an investor because money can multiply many times in a short period. And when it comes to self-improvement, Linear Growth is considered the best because it is steady and does not impose a heavy mental burden.
Summary
WHO is the world’s largest organization focused on the health security of people worldwide, and it was founded in 1948. WHO has eliminated some of the world’s major diseases, such as smallpox and polio, proving that if the world unites, even the biggest diseases can be defeated. Recently, the WHO has also created many new regulations and laws to fight malaria vaccines and future diseases. Lately, America’s leaving the organization and facing financial shortages could be a big challenge for WHO, but even then, WHO is working to deliver vaccines worldwide and always stays at the forefront in fighting every new disease.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical or legal advice. All data, including the status of the USA and WHO relations, is current as of January 2026. For official guidelines and the latest global health updates, please visit who.int.
