Organizations

World Health Organization

Also Known As WHO

Citation Formats

General Reference

History Atlas. "World Health Organization." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://history.interactiveatlas.org/organizations/world-health-organization.

APA Style

History Atlas. (n.d.). World Health Organization. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://history.interactiveatlas.org/organizations/world-health-organization

BibTeX

@misc{historyatlas-world-health-organization,
  author = {History Atlas},
  title = {World Health Organization},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://history.interactiveatlas.org/organizations/world-health-organization},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations, founded on 7 April 1948 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, responsible for international public health. Its constitution defines health expansively, and it has coordinated major global campaigns including the eradication of smallpox, declared complete in 1980, and responses to pandemics from influenza to COVID-19. It is governed by the World Health Assembly, made up of its member states, and funded through a mix of assessed member contributions and voluntary donations.

Facts

Organization Type

United Nations specialized agency 1

Founded

1948 1

Headquarters

Geneva, Switzerland 1

Cross-Tradition Connections