Dear Delegates of the World Health Organization 2009,

Welcome to Queen’s Model United Nations, and Kingston. On behalf of the committee and the university, we would like to take the opportunity to introduce ourselves and wish you the best of luck in the upcoming conference.

My name is Alison Rogers and I am a third year Political Studies student here at Queen’s University. I am from Carleton Place, Ontario and have been involved with QMUN for many years.  In first year, I participated in the SPECPOL, (Special Political and Decolonization Committee) and second year I participated in the UNDP, United Nations Development Program. I have also participated in other Model Parliaments and am pursing a degree focusing in international relations.

My name is Kimia Ghavami and I am a first year life science student at Queen’s University. I am from Calgary, Alberta and have spent the last three years as a member of my school’s MUN team. I attended the University of Calgary conference all three years, where I participated as a delegate of the General Assembly. Last year, I also attended the Harvard Model Congress Europe conference in Brussels, Belgium where I was the South African representative on the World Health Organization.

Your topics this year have been chosen by us to hopefully reflect the more pertinent issues occurring in the world. Your in depth of knowledge and participation depend entirely on you; however, we did outline a brief background on all of the twenty countries sitting on the sub-committee this year.

In the meantime, we hope you become familiar with the leading contributor on health in the world and are excited to participate in the conference. We know we are! If you have any questions, please feel free to direct them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

WHO History and Mission

There were many attempts in the nineteenth century to stop diseases such as cholera, yellow fever and small pox. In 1851, there were efforts to produce an international convention on sanitation at the First International Sanitary Conference in Paris, but this conference failed to do so. It wasn’t until 1882, that the Second International Sanitary Conference was actually adopted, however it only addressed cholera. When the League of Nations was developed, it created a section called the Health Organization of the League of Nations, based in Geneva, Switzerland however, when the League of Nations collapsed, so too did the Health Organization.

However, in 1945, at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, the organization approved a proposal by Brazil and China to establish a new autonomous, international health organization. It was the two physicians, Drs. Szeming Sze of China and Geraldo de Paula Souza of Brazil, that proposed the formulation of a single health organization that would address the health needs of the world's people. At the International Health Conference in New York in 1946, the constitution of the World Health Organization was approved.

The WHO originally had 51 member states but over time the membership has evolved to 193 participating member states and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The World Health Organization is the authority for health within the United Nations and is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, setting standards, and monitoring and assessing health trends. Member states are divided into six geographic regions: Southeast Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Americas, Africa, the Western Pacific and Europe. The director general of the organization oversees the mission to preserve, maintain, and improve health through education, nutritional support, health activities, management of disease outbreaks, response to emergencies, and funding programs.

The preamble to the constitution defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." The initial priorities for world health care included initiatives to address malaria , maternal and child health, tuberculosis , venereal diseases, nutrition and environmental sanitation, public health administration, parasitic diseases, viral diseases , mental health, and other activities.

The WHO Agenda

Health issues are forever changing in the present day world. The boundaries of public health action have become blurred, extending into other sectors that influence health opportunities and outcomes. The WHO responds to these challenges by using a six point agenda, which addresses two health objectives, two strategic needs, and two operational approaches and are as outline on their website as follows:

1. Promoting development

During the past decade, health has achieved unprecedented prominence as a key driver of socioeconomic progress, and more resources than ever are being invested in health. Yet poverty continues to contribute to poor health, and poor health anchors large populations in poverty. Health development is directed by the ethical principle of equity: Access to life-saving or health-promoting interventions should not be denied for unfair reasons, including those with economic or social roots. Commitment to this principle ensures that WHO activities aimed at health development give priority to health outcomes in poor, disadvantaged or vulnerable groups. Attainment of the health-related Millennium Development Goals, preventing and treating chronic diseases and addressing the neglected tropical diseases are the cornerstones of the health and development agenda.

2. Fostering health security

Shared vulnerability to health security threats demands collective action. One of the greatest threats to international health security arises from outbreaks of emerging and epidemic-prone diseases. Such outbreaks are occurring in increasing numbers, fuelled by such factors as rapid urbanization, environmental mismanagement, the way food is produced and traded, and the way antibiotics are used and misused. The world's ability to defend itself collectively against outbreaks has been strengthened since June 2007, when the revised International Health Regulations came into force.

3. Strengthening health systems

For health improvement to operate as a poverty-reduction strategy, health services must reach poor and underserved populations. Health systems in many parts of the world are unable to do so, making the strengthening of health systems a high priority for WHO. Areas being addressed include the provision of adequate numbers of appropriately trained staff, sufficient financing, suitable systems for collecting vital statistics, and access to appropriate technology including essential drugs.

4. Harnessing research, information and evidence

Evidence provides the foundation for setting priorities, defining strategies, and measuring results. WHO generates authoritative health information, in consultation with leading experts, to set norms and standards, articulate evidence-based policy options and monitor the evolving global heath situation.

5. Enhancing partnerships

WHO carries out its work with the support and collaboration of many partners, including UN agencies and other international organizations, donors, civil society and the private sector. WHO uses the strategic power of evidence to encourage partners implementing programs within countries to align their activities with the best technical guidelines and practices, as well as with the priorities established by countries.

6. Improving performance

WHO participates in ongoing reforms aimed at improving its efficiency and effectiveness, both at the international level and within countries. WHO aims to ensure that its strongest asset - its staff - works in an environment that is motivating and rewarding. WHO plans its budget and activities through results-based management, with clear expected results to measure performance at country, regional and international level.

Swine Flu

In April 2009, Mexican authorities reported they were investigating a new strain of influenza. The outbreak spread quickly in the country, killing more then 150 people. Two months later, in June 2009, the WHO declared a swine flu pandemic. This was the first time a global pandemic has been declared in 41 years.

Swine Flu, also referred to as H1N1 virus, is a new virus that was first detected in people in March 2009.
The World Health Organization terms a pandemic as, "An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in epidemics worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness."
As the number of cases continue to slowly increase, pandemic disease experts are preparing for a possible second wave. Countries are starting stockpile anti-viral drugs to treat individuals until the vaccine is fully available. Regardless, there is uncertainty in how the spread of the swine flu will play out.

There are currently around twenty vaccine manufacturers with are licensed to produce seasonal influenza vaccines. Based on a global survey made by WHO on 15 May 2009, a maximum of 4.9 billion doses potentially could be produced in 12 months, however, a more conservative estimate of global capacity is at least 1 to 2 billion doses per year. The numbers of persons who might be vaccinated will not be known until it is determined whether one or two doses of the vaccine will be needed to achieve protection.

Around 70% of the global seasonal influenza vaccine production capacity today is located in Europe and North America, with further significant manufacturing capacity in Australia, Japan and China. During the past three years, six manufacturers in developing countries have begun to acquire the technology to produce influenza vaccines and have received technical and financial support from WHO.

WHO is working with the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization and partners on the options for deciding in which target groups vaccination should begin first. At its July 7 meeting, SAGE recommended that health care workers worldwide should be immunized as a first priority (see: Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note 2 below). Ultimately, national authorities will identify priority groups for vaccination based on circumstances within the country.

However, there is a growing concern that developing countries will not have access to the vaccines because they are not financially able to and thus leaving their populations without coverage. The WHO Director-General has called for international solidarity to provide fair and equitable access for all countries to pandemic vaccine when it becomes available. WHO has requested that manufacturers set aside future influenza A (H1N1) vaccines for developing country populations, through donations or affordable pricing arrangements. The topic to be discussed would be how to get universal access and coverage with the vaccine as fair and indiscriminately.

Below is a map of the risk of spread of swine flu created by Maplecroft, who also created the Influenza Pandemic Risk Index (IPRI)

Access to Clean Water

“The availability of water is a concern for some countries. But the scarcity at the heart of the global water crisis is rooted in power, poverty and inequality, not in physical availability.”
-2006 United Nations Human Declaration Report Pg 2

Water scarcity affects one in three people on every continent of the globe. The situation is getting worse as needs for water rise along with population growth, urbanization and increases in household and industrial uses. Almost one fifth of the world's population (about 1.2 billion people) live in areas where the water is physically scarce. One quarter of the global population also live in developing countries that face water shortages due to a lack of infrastructure to fetch water from rivers and aquifers. Water scarcity forces people to rely on unsafe sources of drinking water. It also means they cannot bathe or clean their clothes or homes properly. Poor water quality can increase the risk of such diarrhoeal diseases as cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery, and other water-borne infections. Water scarcity can also causes gender issues, since often women are responsible for collecting water.

On top of existing problems with access to clean water, is the emerging problem of water security regarding global climate change.  As the climate continues to change, many of the areas that are already scarce of water will get worse, and water flows will become less predictable. This can in turn effect how productive agriculture is in certain regions which could in turn cause not only droughts but also starvation.

A further potential problem is for states to commoditize water. By promoting water as a commodity, Multi-National Corporations are able to gain an increased control over the commodity. In turn, there has been increased fear that the poor are shut out, because the MNC’s main responsibility is to shareholders and to increase profit. The World Bank, IMF and others have encouraged countries around the world to privatize water access in the hope for increased efficiency as well as follow other policies such as the removal of subsidies for such provisions. In doing so, the poor have found themselves being shut out as prices have risen beyond affordability.

By defining water as a human right, it ensures that water is a legal entitlement rather then a commodity or service provided on a chartable basis. In 2002, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognized water as an independent right. This adoption was called the General Comment No. 15 on the right to water. The comment provides guidelines for countries on the interpretation of the right to water under two articles of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on both Article 11 (the right to an adequate standard of living) and Article 12 (the right to health). General Comment 15 affirms that:

"the human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses".
However, this comment is subject to the principle of progressive realization, meaning that some of the rights may be difficult in practice to achieve in a short period of time, and that states may be subject to resource constraints, but requires them to act as best they can within their means. Therefore countries are not obliged to incorporate these rights, so the recognition of these rights must be deliberate by governments.
Therefore, the topic to be discussed would be how to get access to clean water universally.

Maternal Health

Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Every day, 1500 women die from pregnancy- or childbirth-related complications. In 2005, there were an estimated 536 000 maternal deaths worldwide. Most of these deaths occurred in developing countries, and most were avoidable.

Improving maternal health is one of the eight Millennium Development Goals and is the purpose of The WHO Department of Making Pregnancy Safer (MPS). In Millennium Development Goal 5 (MDG5), countries have committed to reducing the maternal mortality ratio by 75% between 1990 and 2015. However, between 1990 and 2005 the maternal mortality ratio declined by only 5%.

A total of 99% of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries, where 85% of the population lives. More than half of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and one third in South Asia. In addition to the differences between countries, there are also large disparities within countries between people with high and low income and between rural and urban populations.

Women die from a wide range of complications in pregnancy, childbirth or the postpartum period. The four major killers are: severe bleeding (mostly bleeding postpartum), infections (also mostly soon after delivery), hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and obstructed labour. Complications after unsafe abortion cause 13% of maternal deaths. Among the indirect causes (20%) of maternal death are diseases that complicate pregnancy or are aggravated by pregnancy, such as malaria, anemia and HIV.

The first step for avoiding maternal deaths is to ensure that women have access to family planning and safe abortion. This will reduce unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions. Since complications are not predictable, all women need care from skilled health professionals, especially at birth, when rapid treatment can make the difference between life and death. Data show that less than two thirds (62%) of women in developing countries receive assistance from a skilled health worker when giving birth.

There are many reasons why women do not receive the care they need before, during and after childbirth. Many pregnant women do not get it because there are no services where they live, they cannot afford the services because they are too expensive or reaching them is too costly. Some women do not use services because they do not like how care is provided. Further, cultural beliefs or women’s low status in society can prevent a pregnant woman from getting the care she needs. To improve maternal health, gaps in the capacity and quality of health systems and barriers to accessing health services must be identified and tackled at all levels, down to the community.

Interventions for saving babies’ lives are very similar to those that save maternal lives. Although the underlying causes differ, poor maternal health and lack of services are the most important factors. Infants who survive either maternal or neonatal complications have high morbidity and resulting disability. At present it is too difficult to measure how many disabled infants – infants with cerebral palsy, mental retardation or visual or auditory impairment – are among the survivors. Maternal and prenatal deaths (stillbirths and first week deaths) together add up to 6.3 million lives lost every year.

The topic to be discussed will be how to reduce the maternal mortality ratio

Member Countries

Afghanistan

Afghanistan is among the least developed countries in the world with 70% of the population living in extreme poverty and health vulnerability. NGO’s provide most of the primary health services in Afghanistan, this has led to some serious fragmentation of health delivery approach. The health of women and children is among the worst in the world. Every 27 minutes, one woman in Afghanistan dies from pregnancy-related complications. Morbidity and mortality among children are due to measles, diarrhoea, acute respiratory infection, malaria, malnutrition and poor sanitation. Underdevelopment and low economic status are the main causes of ill-health so Afghanistan is consistently seeking international aid to rebuild infrastructure and stimulate the economy. In relation to the WHO, Afghanistan requires short term aid to help cope with health concerns related to the war and long term solutions so the country can become less dependent on others.

Benin

Benin is in West Africa and ranked 163 out of 177 countries on the 2006 UNDP's Human development index. Although Benin has a sizeable educated elite, access to education for the majority is poor. There has been a lack of investment in both education and healthcare over the years. The spread of AIDS, still low compared to other African countries, is expected to lower the health indicators further. Benin’s maternal mortality ratio lies below the average African ratio of 910/100000. Benin relies heavily on external assistance, including on International Monetary Funds and requires WHO assistance to cope with a population living in poverty. France has always been and remains the principal bilateral donor.

China

China has nearly a quarter of the world population; dramatic economic, social and political changes in recent years have had a major impact on health and health care. Disease burden has largely shifted from communicable to non-communicable diseases and injuries (20%, 80% of mortality rate respectively. China’s rapid economic growth has not led to an increased governmental investment in health. Communicable diseases and malnutrition have a major impact on health in rural areas and among young children but the Chinese government is committed to improving access to health care in all regions of the country. Aside from its commitment to improving health within its own border, the Chinese government has the resources to sponsor projects in surrounding countries and it is very committed to the endeavours of the WHO.

Egypt

Egypt is a low-middle income country, economic challenges continue for a country that relies on tourism yet is plagued with terrorist attacks. Most of the population has access to health care as Egypt has an extensive network of health facilities. High immunization rates have been achieved and as such, communicable diseases are generally well controlled. Maternal mortality and infant mortality rates remain high whilst non-communicable diseases are on the rise. Air pollution, particularly in urban areas, is of concern as are the lifestyle-associated illnesses many of Egypt’s population experience. The World Bank recently supported an initiative to reform the educational system. Egypt has the capacity to deal with the H1N1 pandemic but would require the vaccine, furthermore, the Suez canal has and will continue to play an important role in its foreign policy with other nations and on the issue of access to water.

France

In regards to “overall performance”, the WHO has ranked France as having the best healthcare system in the world. The country provides universal health care, has responsive health care providers and the population boasts high health and longevity. France is 1 of 9 countries that has committed itself to donations of the H1N1 pandemic vaccine. In the developing world, France is committed towards greater respect for human rights, improving women’s position in society, making headway in health issues, improving access to education and rebuilding infrastructure.

Greece

Greece has one of the more privatized health care systems in Europe as healthcare is equally public and private funded. With a stable economy, Greece has a National Healthcare System (NHS) which provides universal coverage to the population. Infection rates of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and Tuberculosis have all dropped within the country over the past few years and are now among the lowest in Europe. In recent years, Greece has turned its attention towards supporting international efforts in developing countries however the country has also been disastrously hit by the economic crisis and the country is in the middle of a budget and economic system overhaul so that it can maintain its own universal health coverage plan.

Haiti

Haiti remains the least-developed country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world, ranked 146th of 177 countries in the UN's Human Development Index. Haiti's economic stagnation is the result of earlier inappropriate economic policies, political instability, shortage of arable land, environmental deterioration, lack of public investment in human resources, migration of large portions of the skilled population, and the lack of a functioning judicial system. In July 2004, $1.085 billion was pledged through 2006 at the World Bank Donors' Conference and as of March 2006, $965 million had been disbursed, mainly to address humanitarian needs. Maternal and child mortality rates are all well above averages for the America’s, an indicator of the level of poverty and disparity within the country and a top issue for the Haiti WHO delegation. Haiti would require some renewed efforts and funds so as to continue progress made by the 2004 contributions.

India

With more than one billion people, India is the second most populous country in the world. The subcontinent is characterized by large diversities in geographical regions, sociocultural groups, and health needs. While India is being propelled to a position of international economic importance, it faces three main groups of health challenges that it seeks to address with the input of the WHO: first, dealing effectively with communicable diseases, maternal and child health, and health systems strengthening; second, dealing with new emerging challenges such as the recent burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs); and third, dealing with globalization related issues while contributing to the management and shaping of the global policy on environment.

Indonesia

By the early 1990s, Indonesia had experienced an improvement in socioeconomic indicators with the help of the WHO. However, these achievements received a setback in mid-1997 with the economic crisis. Although the health status of Indonesians was not affected drastically in the short term, the proportion of people living in poverty rose during the period of political, economic and social instability. Most recently, poverty rates have again been reported to increase as the country is hit by an economic recession. Indicators show that the health situation of mothers, children and adolescents in Indonesia still has much room for improvement. Communicable diseases continue to be the major cause of morbidity and mortality in Indonesia, meaning the recent pandemic threat could have disastrous consequences on a country with little facility to acquire or deliver a vaccine.

Iran

The Islamic Republic of Iran is a middle income country highly vulnerable to natural disasters  and faced with a flood of refugees from its neighbouring countries, Afghanistan and Iraq. Iran’s health status has improved over the past four decades as the Ministry of Health finances and delivers primary health care. Communicable disease related mortality has decreased however Hepatitis C remains a problem as does mother-to-child transmission of Hepatitis B. Maternal and Child health have improved and the family planning programme that was suspended in 1979 has since been reinstated. The country now faces some economic challenges as it tries to lower the rate of unemployment and copes with low foreign investment. As Iran faces internal crises, the international community continues to place pressure on it for the treatment of its citizens and the nuclear program. The WHO contributes strategically as policy advisor on technical issues (eg. expert network), advocating health promotion policies and providing technical leadership (eg. E-health library).

Japan

Japan is an archipeligo of 6852 islands in East Asia where the four largest island account for 97% of the land area. As of 1 October 2008, the total population of Japan was estimated to be 127 692 000 people. The average life expectancy remains the highest in the world. In 2007, it was 85.9 years for women and 79.2 years for men. In 2007, the crude birth rate was 8.6 per 1000 persons and the crude death rate was 8.8 per 1000 persons. The Japanese Government, a constitutional monarchy, is based on a parliamentary cabinet system. Japan has the second largest economy in the world in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), after the
United States of America. As of 2006, the GDP of Japan and the United States totaled 36.4% of the world’s GDP. Japan's GDP per capita in 2007 was US$ 34 326. Japan’s primary concern with the WHO is the control of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and pandemic influenza. They are also interested in providing aid and cooperation for other developing countries.

Mexico

Mexico is a country located in North America, and has a population of 105,342,000 people. It has a gross national income per capita of $ 11, 900 and the life expectancy at birth is 72 years for males and 77 years for females. Mexico is considered a middle-income country because of its strong ties to NAFTA, however there is an un even distribution of wealth in the country which have led to inequities in access to basic services, opportunities, and social participation. The poorer states are located in the country’s southern region and have the highest concentration of rural and indigenous population groups and the highest disease prevalence and mortality rates for preventable causes. Mexico’s interests in the WHO are as following: equity in health, risk reduction and health promotion, surveillance, prevention, and control of diseases, and also quality of services and health system performance.

Montenegro

Montenegro is an Eastern European state that has a population of 601 000 people. It is a former Soviet State that has a tumultuous past with Yugoslavia. In 2006, Montenegro gained independence from Yugoslavia. The gross national income per capita is $ 8,930 and the life expectancy at birth  is 72 years old for males and 76 years old for females. Montenegro’s international health interests are: to strengthen the health system, to strengthen public health programs with a focus on the prevention of non-communicable diseases including mental health, to strengthen communicable disease surveillance, control and outbreak response and to revise and finalize the National Environmental Health Action Plan.

Peru

Peru is a country in Western South America, The country had an estimated population of 25,661,690. Starting in 1998, economic activity severely contracted due to delays in implementing State reforms for public administration, State modernization and consolidation of the democratic system; flight of capital in connection with international financial crises; effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon; falling export prices; and the political crisis that ended in removal of the elected president in 2000 and installation of the Constitutional Transition Government in July 2001. The gross national income per capita is $ 6,490. Peru’s interests with the WHO are universal access to public health services and individual care; modernization of the sector; re-structuring functions of financing, provision and regulation; prevention and control of priority health problems; and, promotion of healthy living conditions and life styles.

Russia

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world; it has a surface area of 17 million km² and covers 11 time zones. It is a middle-income country with a population of nearly 143 million people and a gross national income per capita of US$ 7570. The life expectancy at birth is 60 years old for males and 73 years for females.
Russia’s interests in international health is strengthening the health system, scaling up prevention of noncommunicable diseases and adoption of healthy lifestyles, and also scaling up the health system’s response to communicable diseases

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a vast country, covering an area of 2.25 million km and has a population of 22 670 000 people. The country has witnessed a massive improvement in socioeconomic development in the past 30 years, with startling progress having been made in health, education, housing and the environment. The life expectancy at birth in years is 73.6 years. The agenda for WHO technical cooperation with Saudi Arabia for the period 2006–2011 will be based on the following strategic directions: Supporting the strengthening of national health systems including, Strengthening the development of coherent and effective health care delivery systems, Supporting the Ministry of Health in developing cross-sectoral collaboration in health and the Prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Senegal

Senegal is a country on the west coast of Africa and remains one of the most stable democracies there to date. It has a population of 12 072 000 million people and the life expectancy is 55 years of age. The gross national income per capita is $1, 560. Senegal’s goals with the WHO focus on, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases, developing a global partnership for development, ensuring environmental sustainability and eradicatcating extreme poverty and hunger.

Switzerland

Switzerland is a landlocked country situated in Western Europe, that has a population of 7 455 000 people. The gross national income per capita is  $40,840 and the life expectancy at birth is 82.17. Switzerland has a long history of neutrality and holds many of the regional offices of the United Nations, including the World Health Organization. The Swiss policies regarding the WHO are to protect the health interests of the Swiss population, harmonize national and international health policies, improve the effectiveness of international collaboration in the area of health, improve the global health situation,  and to safeguard their role as host country to international organizations and a base for major companies working in the health sector.

United States of America

The United States of America is located in North America and has a total population of 302,841,000. It has a gross national income per capita of $ 44 070. The United States of America is considered one of the most powerful countries in the world and contributes a considerable amount financially to the United Nations. However, the recent financial crisis has had an impact on the United States. The life expectancy at birth is 75 years for males and 80 years for females. The United States of America has recently changed presidents, and thus their international commitments have shifted. They are committed to partnering with the WHO to advance the cause of social justice, to expand access to health care and reduce health disparities. President Obama is said to be committed to ushering in a new era in global health, an era that no longer tackles disease and illness in isolation. Instead, they are going to attempt to use an integrated approach to public health which will focus on women and families. It will emphasize disease prevention and seek out strategies that do not battle one disease, but rather, battle the conditions that allow many diseases to thrive.

The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It has a population of  60 000 000 people, the majority of which is urban situated (89%). The life expectancy at birth is 79.86 years. The United Kingdom is a strong supporter of the WHO and looks to is for both guidance with domestic issues, but also contributes to the international system. The United kingdom is concerned with and tries to promote, health development and health security, strengthening health systems and gathering and analyzing the evidence needed to set priorities and measure progress and fostering partnership and collaboration, strong governance and ensuring that WHO is a learning organization.

Other Resources:

WHO
www.who.int/en

WHO Regional Office in Africa
http://www.afro.who.int/

Pan American Health Organization
http://new.paho.org/

WHO Regional Office for Europe
http://www.euro.who.int/

WHO Regional Office for Eastern Mediterranean
http://www.emro.who.int/nutrition/index.htm

WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia
http://www.searo.who.int/en/Section13/Section38.htm

WHO Regional Office for Western Pacific
http://www.wpro.who.int/health_topics/nutrition/

United Nations Human Development Reports

World Health Report: Make Every Mother and Child Count
http://www.who.int/whr/2005/en/index.html