THIS YEAR’S WORLD HEALTH DAY falls against the backdrop of strained multilateralism and a crisis in global health funding. World Health Day serves as a stark reminder that good governance, sustained financing, and collective action are essential to safeguard public health worldwide. It is crucial, at this juncture, to reflect on the United States planned withdrawal from the World Health Organization (‘WHO’) and dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (‘USAID’).
WHO at the centre of global health governance
The WHO was established in 1948 as a major arm of the United Nations. Its constitutional mandate is to serve as the leading international health agency responsible for tracking disease outbreaks, coordinating global efforts to combat diseases, and strengthening health systems. It plays a crucial role in pandemic preparedness and response. The WHO led the eradication of smallpox and is on the verge of polio eradication. Its Expanded Immunisation Program (‘EIP’) has protected children against vaccine preventable diseases like measles. It was born with constitutional powers to negotiate health treaties and regulations, such as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the ongoing Pandemic Treaty negotiations, and it continues to update International Health Regulations (‘IHR’), as seen with the recent major amendments adopted on June 1, 2024. The agency's primary job is norm-setting, scientific standards, and technical assistance. It plays a leading role in disease classification and synthesis of the best evidence around treatments. WHO also plays a unique coordinating role in responding to health emergencies such as novel outbreaks of Ebola, Marburg, and Mpox.
There has been, at least seemingly, a strong norm regarding the importance of international cooperation in health since WHO’s creation. That is, until now.
