Week 2 (historical perspectives) Flashcards
WHO (World Health Organization)
-Founded in 1948 following WWII
-Works to establish priorities, goals, and frameworks for health programs globally
-Funded work focuses on research, health monitoring, disease surveillance, and coordinated international responses
-Shares data with health researchers and practitioners
WHO constitution
-Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being (not merely absence of disease/infirmity)
-Enjoyment of highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental right
-Health of all people is fundamental to the attainment of peace/security (dependent on co-operation of individuals)
-Achievement of any state in the promotion and protection of health is of value to all
-Unequal development in different countries is a common danger
WHO members
-194 member states currently, divided into 6 regions (Africa, Americas, South-East Asia, Europe, EAstern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific)
-Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland
WHO funding
-Country membership dues (25%)
-Voluntary contributions from members and partners (75%)
-Required to function on budget equal to that of university hospital in Geneva
WHO milestones
1978: Alma-Ata health conference
1979: smallpox eliminated
2000: Millennium Development goals developed
2009: development of H1N1 influenza vaccine
2015: sustainable development goals adopted
Critiques of WHO
-Competing ideologies
–Verticalists: favor biomedical technical interventions
–Horizontalists: organization should help regions develop their own infrastructure
-Too bureaucratic (inefficient, lack of transparency)
-Lose control of priorities without flexible funding
Role of WHO after Covid
-Create new international agreement to ensure future global responses are more inclusive, equitable, and accountable
-Better fund pandemic preparedness and response (both domestically and internationally).
-Design and implement more effective systems for multisectoral health surveillance.
-Strengthen the WHO so it is not constrained (i.e., with limited resources) to respond to future crises
Alma-Ata Declaration
-“Health for all”
-WHO, UNICEF, and 134 nations declared need to focus on primary healthcare for all
-1978 international conference on primary health care, held in Alma-Ata (USSR)
Alma-Ata principles
-Increased investment in primary healthcare.
-Health inequities as “grossly unacceptable”.
-Individuals and communities should be involved in planning and implementing their healthcare.
-Governments are responsible for ensuring adequate healthcare, in coordination with other sectors.
-Goal of achieving “acceptable level of health” for all people globally by 2000 (Health For All); requires freeing up resources for health (e.g., disarmament).
-Recognition that health is tied with social and economic factors.
Alma Ata relevance and response
-Shaped global health agendas, helped set priorities/goals, provided frameworks for designing objectives, helped to organize/mobilize resources
-Too aspirational, no clear targets
-Important health milestone, clear commitment to social justice and essential health care
United Nations Millennium Declaration
-Committed world leaders to combat “poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women”
8 Millennium Declaration Goals
-Eradicate extreme hunger
-Achieve universal primary education
-Promote gender equality
-Reduce child mortality
-Improve maternal health
-Combat HIV/AIDs, malaria, and other diseases
-Ensure environmental sustainability
-Develop a global partnership for development
-Primary Healthcare
Primary healthcare
-A holistic view of health and wellbeing (comprehensive care)
-Should be delivered as close as possible to community members (remove access barriers)
-Decentralization of health services
-Driven by community needs “bottom up”
-Community participation
-Health promotion and prevention over treatment
