Unit 4 health & human development The core functions of the WHO in providing global health and human development

Unit 4 health & human development AOS 2: Promoting global health and human development. Key Knowledge: ‘The core functions of the WHO in providing global health and sustainable human development.’ Key Skills: ‘Describe the role of international and Australian government and non-government agencies and organisations in global health and sustainable human development.’

The World Health Organisation (WHO) What is the core function of the WHO? Established in 1948, the World Health Organisation is the United Nations (UN) agency for promoting good health. The WHO’s core function is to direct and coordinate matters pertaining to health within the UN system: WHO provides leadership on global health issues, which ultimately shapes agendas for health research A key aspect of WHO’s work is health research to ultimately improve the health and wellbeing of all individuals throughout the world WHO experts produce health guidelines and standards WHO assists countries in addressing public health issues, including the monitoring and assessment of health trends and patterns.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Through the WHO, governments can jointly tackle global health problems and improve people’s wellbeing. The WHO has actively improved global health and sustainable human development with a number of achievements worldwide. Some of these achievements include: Essential medicines list: ‘those drugs that satisfy the health care needs of the majority of the population, they should therefore be available at all times in adequate amounts and in appropriate dosage forms, at a price the community can afford.’ WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO)

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (who) ENHANCING GLOBAL HEALTH & DEVELOPMENT: The improvement in global health is an ongoing mission of the WHO. Good health is a key factor in human happiness and can contribute to populations living longer, being more productive and planning for the future. The WHO is constantly developing Global Strategies, Action Plans and Frameworks that outline how to monitor and evaluate the implementation of a strategy and provide assistance to ministries of health in addressing health needs of the population.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (who) ENHANCING GLOBAL HEALTH & DEVELOPMENT (continued): The WHO provides assistance for people in countries that are experiencing threats to their everyday health (eg: outbreak of disease, natural disasters, economic crisis or conflict). The combined effort of member states (of the UN) and other aid organisations attempts to reduce the impact of the crisis on the community affected. The WHO has developed guidelines and publications to ensure that public health workers are well- informed as they plan the best course of action in a given crisis. EG: ‘The International Health Regulations (IHR)’ – discussed on the next slide.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (who) ‘The International Health Regulations (IHR)’ Developed by WHO The updated guidelines (effective June 2007) provide WHO with a greater role in disease control Provides countries with a set of rules they can follow in the unfortunate event of a disease outbreak Assists in identifying the disease Provides steps to be taken to stop spread of disease The WHO works with countries to ensure they’re well equipped to deal with any disease outbreak that may occur, including providing skilled personnel and expert training where required

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (who) Preventing non-communicable diseases (NCD): Changes in diet, PA and tobacco use in both rich and poor countries have dramatically increased the risk of chronic (long-term), non-communicable diseases – NCD’s (a disease which is not infectious & may result from lifestyle factors such as smoking, improper diet or a lack of physical activity, or behavioural factors) such as: Heart disease Stroke Cancer Diabetes It’s believed that with effective intervention targeting these risk factors, the burden of preventable NCD’s could be reduced.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (who) Preventing non-communicable diseases (NCD): ‘2008-2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for Prevention and Control of Non- Communicable Diseases.’ Developed by the WHO in response to alarming predictions that NCD deaths globally will increase by 17% over the next 10 years. Builds on the 2003 ‘WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’ and the 2004 ‘Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health’. An example of a health promotion strategy is: Anti-tobacco advertising World Tobacco Day In India, at least 2200 people die DAILY from tobacco-related diseases. The government outlawed smoking in public places (2003) and banned advertising for tobacco products (2004) to try to reduce the number of tobacco death in a country where 40% of the country’s health problems are tobacco related.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (who) Helping to achieve the MDG’s: The WHO are responsible for developing strategies, policies and guidelines that can be used to help meet the targets set the UN MDG’s. Outlined on the next slide is HOW the WHO is helping countries to achieve the MDG’s.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (who) How is the WHO helping countries to achieve the MDGs? GOAL # HOW THE WHO IS HELPING COUNTRIES ACHIEVE THE MDG’S 1 (Eradicate extreme poverty & hunger) Prevent people from falling into poverty due to having to pay for h/c themselves: WHO recommends replacing user fees with pre-payment systems focusing on taxation or insurance instead. Assess chn’s growth according to a global standard to ID cases of malnutrition in time to intervene effectively. 2 (Achieve universal primary education) 3 (Promote gender equality & empower women) Address gender inequalities that limit the ability of women & girls to protect their health and provide a full range of health services for women of all ages.

How is the WHO helping countries achieve the MDGs (continued)? GOAL # HOW THE WHO IS HELPING COUNTRIES ACHIEVE THE MDG’S 4 (Reduce child mortality) Increase access to safe, effective, quality medicines & diagnostics. WHO promotes the greater availability of generic essential medicines in the public sector. Reduce deaths from pneumonia & diarrohoea (particularly in chn) through the ‘Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia’ – guides countries on how to reduce risks and improve access to treatment. For diarrhoea – WHO focuses on use of ORT (oral rehydration salts) for treatment; access to safe water, sanitation & breastfeeding for prevention. Improve availability, quality and analysis of health information. WHO works with partners to track progress on MDGs & publishes updates in the annual ‘World Health Statistics’. Ensure sick chn get quality health care within 24hrs of becoming ill, & provide safe, effective medicines to chn. The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy prioritises prevention and treatment of the 5 main diseases that kill chn U5, & is being implemented in over 100 countries. Continue to immunise chn against measles & other vaccine-preventable diseases, & introduce new life-saving vaccines such as those against pneumonia & diarrhoea. Assess chn’s growth according to a global standard to ID cases of malnutrition in time to intervene effectively. Improve local availability of effective antimalarial medicines & rapid diagnostic tests (Malaria can be cured if diagnosed and treated within 24hrs of onset of symptoms). Curb spread of malaria by promoting the use of insecticide-treated nets & better water management, sanitation & irrigation management. Monitor AIDS, TB & malaria prevention, treatment and care coverage via WHOs annual status reports and maternal and child health with the ‘Countdown to 2015’ reports that track the progress on MDGs 4 & 5.

How is the WHO helping countries to achieve the MDGs (continued)? GOAL # HOW THE WHO IS HELPING COUNTRIES ACHIEVE THE MDG’S 5 (Improve maternal health) Increase access to safe, effective, quality medicines & diagnostics. WHO promotes the greater availability of generic essential medicines in the public sector. Develop strategies to address critical shortages of health workers, incl finding ways to improve training, manage migration & enhance geographical distribution. Improve availability, quality and analysis of health information. WHO works with partners to track progress on MDGs & publishes updates in the annual ‘World Health Statistics’. Improve essential antenatal & postnatal care for all mothers & babies, providing integrated services to address all maternity needs, and supporting care in the home. This includes training more skilled birth attendants & ensuring simple, life-saving measures (eg: active management of 3rd stage of delivery, early skin-to-skin contact, keeping the baby warm and early & exclusive breastfeeding.) Increase access to sexual & reproductive health services, incl family planning, infertility services, prevention & treatment of sexually transmitted infections & skilled care before, during and after pregnancy & childbirth. Address gender inequalities that limit the ability of women & girls to protect their health and provide a full range of health services for women of all ages. Monitor AIDS, TB & malaria prevention, treatment and care coverage via WHOs annual status reports and maternal and child health with the ‘Countdown to 2015’ reports that track the progress on MDGs 4 & 5.

How is the WHO helping countries to achieve the MDGs (continued)? GOAL # HOW THE WHO IS HELPING COUNTRIES ACHIEVE THE MDG’S 6 (Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria & other diseases Increase access to safe, effective, quality medicines & diagnostics. WHO promotes the greater availability of generic essential medicines in the public sector. Improve availability, quality and analysis of health information. WHO works with partners to track progress on MDGs & publishes updates in the annual ‘World Health Statistics’. Ensure sick chn get quality health care within 24hrs of becoming ill, & provide safe, effective medicines to chn. The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy prioritises prevention and treatment of the 5 main diseases that kill chn U5, & is being implemented in over 100 countries. Increase access to sexual & reproductive health services, incl family planning, infertility services, prevention & treatment of sexually transmitted infections & skilled care before, during and after pregnancy & childbirth. Reduce AIDS deaths, improve quality of life for people living with HIV, & reduce the number of new infections by providing comprehensive prevention, treatment and care services, including ART (antiretroviral treatment). Promote a comprehensive approach to preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV that integrates a full range of antenatal and postnatal services (eg: via ART). Reach national targets improving tuberculosis (TB) control, surveillance and care. More that 70 countries now have effective multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) management programs & provide discounted drugs to an estimated 30,000 people. Increase survival rates of people with both TB & HIV via ART & medication to prevent bacterial infections (it’s estimated that ¼ of deaths from HIV are associated with TB). Improve local availability of effective antimalarial medicines & rapid diagnostic tests (Malaria can be cured if diagnosed and treated within 24hrs of onset of symptoms). Curb spread of malaria by promoting the use of insecticide-treated nets & better water management, sanitation & irrigation management. Monitor AIDS, TB & malaria prevention, treatment and care coverage via WHOs annual status reports and maternal and child health with the ‘Countdown to 2015’ reports that track the progress on MDGs 4 & 5.

How is the WHO helping countries to achieve the MDGs (continued)? GOAL # HOW THE WHO IS HELPING COUNTRIES ACHIEVE THE MDG’S 7 (Ensure environ-mental sustaina-bility) Improve the availability of safe drinking water & sanitation. 8 (Develop a global partnership for development) Increase access to safe, effective, quality medicines & diagnostics. WHO promotes the greater availability of generic essential medicines in the public sector.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (who) Health Care For All: Another key focus of the WHO is to provide opportunities for everyone to have ACCESS to quality health care. WHO are instrumental in providing policies on how to recruit and retain health workers. The economic climate and budgetary restrictions often mean little money is available for health resources, including: Hospitals Clinics Essential medicines Equipment Skilled health care workers

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (who) Health Care For All: A major concern for many developing countries is that health care workers are subjected to poor living and working conditions and they often suffer from the very diseases they are aiming to treat and reduce. The WHO has developed a number of resources that could assist in improving this issue including: ‘Health Metrics Network’ – the network provides a means of collecting and compiling relevant health information from the population that will allow countries to make informed health decisions leading to better health outcomes for the population. ‘Commission on the Social Determinants of Health’ – the commission was set up to analyse the social causes of ill-health, such as poverty, poor housing, inadequate health systems and social exclusion. New policies and strategies can then be created that address these social inequalities.