WHO began when our Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948 – a date we now celebrate every year as World Health Day. We are now more than 7000 people from more than 150 countries working in 150 country offices, in 6 regional offices and at our headquarters in Geneva.
WHO has launched an ambitious, but achievable, five-year strategic plan: the 13th General Programme of Work (GPW13 2019-2023). It focuses on a Triple Billion target: to provide a billion more people with universal health coverage, to protect one more billion people from health emergencies and to provide a further billion people with better health and well-being.
The funds needed to achieve the GPW were estimated at US$ 14.1 billion in WHO’s first ever Investment Case. This amount has been revised up to US$ 14.4 to cover additional funding needed for polio eradication.
This investment case describes how a stronger, more efficient and results-oriented WHO can serve and guide governments and partners in their efforts to improve the health of their populations and to achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.
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Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The bibliographic citation for this definition is: Preamble to the Constitution of WHO as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19 June – 22 July 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of WHO, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948. The definition has not been amended since 1948.