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</div> </div> <div id="Navigation_TD9F2A204035_Col03" class="sf_colsIn col-sm-6 col-md-3" data-sf-element="Column 4" data-placeholder-label="Column 4"> <div class="main-navigation--wrapper" id="8134cb7dad8e4b0fb201c481fb5d106f" role="navigation"> <ul class="main-navigation navVertical"> <li class=""> <a href="/mega-menu/about-us/governance" target="_self">Governance</a> <ul class="sub-level"> <li class=""> <a href="/mega-menu/about-us/governance/governing-bodies-website" target="_blank">Governing bodies</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="/mega-menu/about-us/governance/wha" target="_self">World Health Assembly</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="/mega-menu/about-us/governance/eb" target="_self">Executive Board</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="/mega-menu/about-us/governance/member-states-portal" target="_self">Member States Portal</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </header>   <section class="sf-content content" id="content" role="main" tabindex="-1"> <div id="PageContent_TA51A0481002_Col00" class="sf_colsIn container" data-sf-element="Container" data-placeholder-label="Container">  <nav id="d9afbecd14914365812bc1c9c81ccd97" aria-label="You are here"> <ul class="sf-breadscrumb breadcrumb"> <li><a href="/">Home</a><span aria-hidden="true">/</span></li> <li><a href="/about">About WHO</a><span aria-hidden="true">/</span></li> <li class="active">History</li> </ul> </nav>  <script type="application/ld+json"> {"itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://www.who.int","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://www.who.int/about","name":"About WHO"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://www.who.int/about/history","name":"History"}}],"itemListOrder":"ItemListOrderAscending","@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList"} </script> </div> <div class="row" data-sf-element="Row"> <div id="PageContent_TA51A0481001_Col00" class="sf_colsIn col-md-12" data-sf-element="Column 1" data-placeholder-label="Body content"> <div class="hero-image--wrapper hero-image--high-wrapper high has-caption" data-url=""> <div class="inner responsive-background-image high-1177936025"> <img sizes="(max-width: 768px) 200px, (max-width: 1024px) 700px, (max-width: 1366px) 1000px, 1920px" srcset="https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/imported/history-who.tmb-768v.jpg?sfvrsn=3e52de15_10 768w, https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/imported/history-who.tmb-1024v.jpg?sfvrsn=3e52de15_10 1024w, https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/imported/history-who.tmb-1366v.jpg?sfvrsn=3e52de15_10 1366w, https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/imported/history-who.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=3e52de15_10 1920w" alt="History of WHO" /> <div class="sf_colsIn container"> <div class="hero-image--content bg-text-light"> <p class="title"><span>History of WHO</span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="sf-image-credit"> <div class="sf-image-credit__content"> <div class="sf-image-credit__inner"> WHO </div> </div> <div class="sf-image-credit__label"> <span class="sf-image-credit__copyright">©</span> <span class="sf-image-credit__text">Credits </span> <i class="icon plus-icon"></i> </div> </div> <script> var imageCreditClass = document.getElementsByClassName("sf-image-credit"); var preventFunction = function () { event.preventDefault() }; for (var i = 0; i < imageCreditClass.length; i++) { imageCreditClass[i].addEventListener('click', preventFunction);; } </script> </div> <div id="PageContent_C065_Col00" class="sf_colsIn container" data-sf-element="Container" data-placeholder-label="Container"><div class="row" data-sf-element="Row"> <div id="PageContent_C068_Col00" class="sf_colsIn col-md-8" data-sf-element="Column 1" data-placeholder-label="Column 1"> <div class="sf-content-block content-block" > <div ><p>When diplomats met to form the United Nations in 1945, one of the things they discussed was setting up a global health organization. WHO’s Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948 – a date we now celebrate every year as World Health Day.</p></div> </div> </div> <div id="PageContent_C068_Col01" class="sf_colsIn col-md-4" data-sf-element="Column 2" data-placeholder-label="Column 2"> <div class="sf-content-block content-block" > <div ><div class="arrowed-link"><a href="/about">About WHO</a></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="PageContent_C067_Col00" class="sf_colsIn container" data-sf-element="Container" data-placeholder-label="Container"><div class="row" data-sf-element="Row"> <div id="PageContent_C064_Col00" class="sf_colsIn col-md-8" data-sf-element="Column 1" data-placeholder-label="Column 1"><div id="PageContent_C077_Col00" class="sf_colsIn background-widget" data-sf-element="Background widget" data-placeholder-label="Background widget"> <div id="PageContent_C079_Col00" class="sf_colsIn container" data-sf-element="Container" data-placeholder-label="Container"> <div class="section-heading"> <h2>Global health organization</h2> </div> <div class="sf-content-block content-block" > <div ><p>When diplomats met to form the United Nations in 1945, one of the things they discussed was setting up a global health organization. WHO’s Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948 – a date we now celebrate every year as World Health Day.</p><p>In April 1945, during the Conference to set up the United Nations (UN) held in San Francisco, representatives of Brazil and China proposed that an international health organization be established and a conference to frame its constitution convened. On 15 February 1946, the Economic and Social Council of the UN instructed the Secretary-General to convoke such a conference. A Technical Preparatory Committee met in Paris from 18 March to 5 April 1946 and drew up proposals for the Constitution which were presented to the International Health Conference in New York City between 19 June and 22 July 1946. On the basis of these proposals, the Conference drafted and adopted the Constitution of the World Health Organization, signed 22 July 1946 by representatives of 51 Members of the UN and of 10 other nations. </p><p>The Conference established also an Interim Commission to carry out certain activities of the existing health institutions until the entry into force of the Constitution of the World Health Organization. The preamble and Article 69 of the Constitution of WHO provide that WHO should be a specialized agency of the UN. Article 80 provides that the Constitution would come into force when 26 members of the United Nations had ratified it. The Constitution did not come into force until 7 April 1948, when the 26th of the 61 governments who had signed it ratified its signature. The first Health Assembly opened in Geneva on 24 June 1948 with delegations from 53 of the 55 Member States. It decided that the Interim Commission was to cease to exist at midnight on 31 August 1948, to be immediately succeeded by WHO.</p><p> </p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="PageContent_C064_Col01" class="sf_colsIn col-md-4" data-sf-element="Column 2" data-placeholder-label="Column 2"> <div class="card--list" role="article"> <div class="card-item__container"> <figure class="card-item__figure"> <a href="/about/governance/constitution" target="_self" > <img src="https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/imported/documents.jpg?sfvrsn=3f943f3d_5" title="Documents" alt="Handwriting on antique paper"> </a> </figure> <div class="card-item__body"> <div class="card-item__header"> <a href="/about/governance/constitution" target="_self"> <h3 id="5555c9c6dcb942cfba3dc5e0bd5827f5" class="card-item-item__title">Constitution</h3> </a> </div> <div class="card-item__actions"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="card--list" role="article"> <div class="card-item__container"> <figure class="card-item__figure"> <a href="/archives" target="_self" > <img src="/images/default-source/default-album/ez4t8337.jpg?sfvrsn=404f1ca1_4" title="EZ4T8337" alt="EZ4T8337"> </a> </figure> <div class="card-item__body"> <div class="card-item__header"> <a href="/archives" target="_self"> <h3 id="6880ce003ac14baf9abdd3738d95d8ad" class="card-item-item__title">Archives of WHO</h3> </a> </div> <div class="card-item__actions"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="PageContent_C070_Col00" class="sf_colsIn container" data-sf-element="Container" data-placeholder-label="Container"> <div class="sf-content-block content-block" > <div ><p> <p></div> </div> <div class="row" data-sf-element="Row"> <div id="PageContent_C072_Col00" class="sf_colsIn col-md-6" data-sf-element="Column 1" data-placeholder-label="Column 1"> <div class="section-heading"> <h2>Public health milestones through the years</h2> </div> <div id="PageContent_C080_Col00" class="sf_colsIn container" data-sf-element="Container" data-placeholder-label="Container"> <div class="sf-content-block content-block" > <div ><p><img alt="Collage of two timeline cards of health milestones throughout the years: featuring an image, year, headline, text field and a link for each card" src="https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/who-campaigns/who75/milestones-timeline-teaser.png?sfvrsn=96aca4da_14" sf-size="332843"></p><p><strong></strong>Since the foundation of the World Health Organization in 1948, the world has experienced public health challenges that have required us all to come together with science, solutions and solidarity.</p><div class="button button-blue-background"><a href="/campaigns/75-years-of-improving-public-health/milestones">View the timeline</a></div></div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="PageContent_C072_Col01" class="sf_colsIn col-md-6" data-sf-element="Column 2" data-placeholder-label="Column 2"> <div class="section-heading"> <h2>WHO’s 7 + 5 health stories for everyone, everywhere</h2> </div> <div id="PageContent_C081_Col00" class="sf_colsIn container" data-sf-element="Container" data-placeholder-label="Container"> <div class="sf-content-block content-block" > <div ><p><img alt="Adolescents sitting close to each other looking into the camera smiling." src="https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/who-campaigns/who75/smiling-girls-nepal-1920px.jpg?sfvrsn=6a16aea3_3" sf-size="312530"></p><p>Health stories about WHO's work over the past decades serving people of the world to build a healthier future.</p><div class="button button-blue-background"><a href="/campaigns/75-years-of-improving-public-health/stories">Read the health stories</a></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="sf-content-block content-block" > <div ><p> <p></div> </div> </div> <div id="PageContent_C085_Col00" class="sf_colsIn container" data-sf-element="Container" data-placeholder-label="Container"><div id="PageContent_C082_Col00" class="sf_colsIn background-widget" data-sf-element="Background widget" data-placeholder-label="Background widget"> <div id="PageContent_C084_Col00" class="sf_colsIn container" data-sf-element="Container" data-placeholder-label="Container"><div class="row" data-sf-element="Row"> <div id="PageContent_C054_Col00" class="sf_colsIn col-md-12" data-sf-element="Column 1" data-placeholder-label="Column 1"> <div class="section-heading"> <h2>Global Health History – understanding the history of health</h2> </div> <div class="row" data-sf-element="Row"> <div id="PageContent_C062_Col00" class="sf_colsIn col-md-4" data-sf-element="Column 1" data-placeholder-label="Column 1"><div class="row" data-sf-element="Row"> <div id="PageContent_C045_Col00" class="sf_colsIn col-md-11" data-sf-element="Column 1" data-placeholder-label="Column 1"> <div class="sf-content-block content-block" > <div ><img alt="who_in_field" src="https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/gap/who-in-field.jpg?sfvrsn=14d44631_11" sf-size="311848"></div> </div> </div> <div id="PageContent_C045_Col01" class="sf_colsIn col-md-1" data-sf-element="Column 2" data-placeholder-label="Column 2"> </div> </div> </div> <div id="PageContent_C062_Col01" class="sf_colsIn col-md-8" data-sf-element="Column 2" data-placeholder-label="Column 2"><div class="row" data-sf-element="Row"> <div id="PageContent_C089_Col00" class="sf_colsIn col-md-11" data-sf-element="Column 1" data-placeholder-label="Column 1"> <div class="sf-content-block content-block" > <div ><p>The Global Health Histories project was established within the WHO headquarters in late 2004 and expanded into the regional offices from 2009 onwards. An official WHO activity, its mission is based on the principle that understanding the history of health, especially during the last 60 years, helps the global public health community to respond to the challenges of today and help shape a healthier future for everyone, especially those most in need.</p><p>Forming an important part of the project, the Global Health Histories Seminars are organised with WHO partners around the world, at WHO headquarters, regional and country offices, as well as with WHO member states and university partners. Since 2005, the seminars have been generously supported by the Wellcome Trust.</p></div> </div> </div> <div id="PageContent_C089_Col01" class="sf_colsIn col-md-1" data-sf-element="Column 2" data-placeholder-label="Column 2"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="PageContent_C002_Col00" class="sf_colsIn container" data-sf-element="Container" data-placeholder-label="Container"><div class="row" data-sf-element="Row"> <div id="PageContent_C035_Col00" class="sf_colsIn col-md-12" data-sf-element="Column 1" data-placeholder-label="Column 1"> <div class="sf-content-block content-block" > <div ><p> <p></div> </div> <div class="section-heading"> <h2>Records</h2> </div> <div class="sf-publications"> <div class="sf-publications-list sf-publications-list__horizontal row"> <div class="sf-publications-item list-item col-sm-3"> <div class="sf-publications-item__container"> <figure class="sf-publications-item__figure"> <img src="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/37089/a38153.pdf.jpg?sequence=7" alt="The First ten years of the World Health Organization" /> </figure> <div class="sf-publications-item__body"> <div class="sf-publications-item__header"> <div class="sf-publications-item__date"> <span>7 April 1958</span> </div> <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241560146"> <h3 class="sf-publications-item__title">The First ten years of the World Health Organization</h3> </a> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item__description"> <p>In this anniversary publication an effort has been made not only to review the history of these past ten years but also to place the events of that... </p> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item__actions"> <div class="sf-publications-item__file"> <a class="download-url " href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/37089/a38153_eng_LR_part1.pdf?sequence=14" aria-label="Download" target="_blank">Download</a> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item__url"> <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241560146" class="page-url" aria-label="Read More">Read More</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item list-item col-sm-3"> <div class="sf-publications-item__container"> <figure class="sf-publications-item__figure"> <img src="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/39254/14564.pdf.jpg?sequence=7" alt="The Second ten years of the World Health Organization, 1958-1967" /> </figure> <div class="sf-publications-item__body"> <div class="sf-publications-item__header"> <div class="sf-publications-item__date"> <span>7 April 1968</span> </div> <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241560153"> <h3 class="sf-publications-item__title">The Second ten years of the World Health Organization, 1958-1967</h3> </a> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item__description"> <p>The twentieth anniversary of the World Health Organization is itself a sign of the will of the nations of the world to act together, across national... </p> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item__actions"> <div class="sf-publications-item__file"> <a class="download-url " href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/39254/14564_eng_HR.pdf?sequence=8" aria-label="Download" target="_blank">Download</a> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item__url"> <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241560153" class="page-url" aria-label="Read More">Read More</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item list-item col-sm-3"> <div class="sf-publications-item__container"> <figure class="sf-publications-item__figure"> <img src="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/43924/9789241563666_eng.pdf.jpg?sequence=7" alt="The third ten years of the World Health Organization : 1968-1977" /> </figure> <div class="sf-publications-item__body"> <div class="sf-publications-item__header"> <div class="sf-publications-item__date"> <span>7 April 2008</span> </div> <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563666"> <h3 class="sf-publications-item__title">The third ten years of the World Health Organization : 1968-1977</h3> </a> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item__description"> <p>Sharing health knowledge inspired by history enriches global public health and benefits society at large. This volume is the first publication within... </p> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item__actions"> <div class="sf-publications-item__file"> <a class="download-url " href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/43924/9789241563666_eng.pdf?sequence=1" aria-label="Download" target="_blank">Download</a> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item__url"> <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563666" class="page-url" aria-label="Read More">Read More</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item list-item col-sm-3"> <div class="sf-publications-item__container"> <figure class="sf-publications-item__figure"> <img src="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/44644/9789241564298_eng.pdf.jpg?sequence=7" alt="The fourth ten years of the World Health Organization : 1978-1987" /> </figure> <div class="sf-publications-item__body"> <div class="sf-publications-item__header"> <div class="sf-publications-item__date"> <span>7 April 2011</span> </div> <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241564298"> <h3 class="sf-publications-item__title">The fourth ten years of the World Health Organization : 1978-1987</h3> </a> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item__description"> <p>Like its predecessors, this account of WHO’s work covers all the major programmes of the Organization. It is largely a record of the records; that... </p> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item__actions"> <div class="sf-publications-item__file"> <a class="download-url " href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/44644/9789241564298_eng.pdf?sequence=1" aria-label="Download" target="_blank">Download</a> </div> <div class="sf-publications-item__url"> <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241564298" class="page-url" aria-label="Read More">Read More</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row" data-sf-element="Row"> <div id="PageContent_C032_Col00" class="sf_colsIn col-md-4" data-sf-element="Column 1" data-placeholder-label="Column 1"> <div class="card--list" role="article"> <div class="card-item__container"> <figure class="card-item__figure"> <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240560277" target="_self" > <img src="https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/imported/who-old-poster.jpg?sfvrsn=46e652a9_2" title="WHO old poster" alt="WHO old poster"> </a> </figure> <div class="card-item__body"> <div class="card-item__header"> <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240560277" target="_self"> <h3 id="00fa61fd9b414aeda695cab501b5dc99" class="card-item-item__title">Posters from public health campaigns</h3> </a> </div> <div class="card-item__description"> <p> A historical look at the power of posters to persuade people to change their behaviour </p> </div> <div class="card-item__actions"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="PageContent_C032_Col01" class="sf_colsIn col-md-4" data-sf-element="Column 2" data-placeholder-label="Column 2"> <div class="card--list" role="article"> <div class="card-item__container"> <figure class="card-item__figure"> <a href="https://photos.hq.who.int/category/66/posters-collection" target="_self" > <img src="https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/campaigns/world-health-day/depression_poster_04_1280.jpg?sfvrsn=f3fb7c23_3" title="Depression_Poster_04_1280" alt="Illustration of two women talking."> </a> </figure> <div class="card-item__body"> <div class="card-item__header"> <a href="https://photos.hq.who.int/category/66/posters-collection" target="_self"> <h3 id="7607084b8acc414481bf2b13887c0a2d" class="card-item-item__title">Posters collection</h3> </a> </div> <div class="card-item__description"> <p> WHO Photo Library </p> </div> <div class="card-item__actions"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="PageContent_C032_Col02" class="sf_colsIn col-md-4" data-sf-element="Column 3" data-placeholder-label="Column 3"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section>   <footer id="sf-footer"> <div class="main-footer"> <div id="Footer_TD9F2A204001_Col00" class="sf_colsIn container" data-sf-element="Container" data-placeholder-label="Container"><div class="row" data-sf-element="Row"> <div id="Footer_T75121FDA252_Col00" class="sf_colsIn col-md-8" data-sf-element="Column 1" 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