World Health Organization
WHO is a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, charged to act as the world's directing and coordinating authority on questions of human health. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.
News & Events
Featured Reviews
August 1-7 World Breastfeeding Week
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from August 1 to 7 in more than 120 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration made by WHO and UNICEF policy-makers in August 1990 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
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WHO Criteria for Contraceptive Use
6 May 2010 - CNN.com covers modern trends in contraceptive use. Read full article here: Does 'Aunt Flo' really need to come to town? The article references the World Health Organization's Medical Eligibility
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Haiti Health Facilities Treating Quake Survivors
January 25, 2010 -- More than 150 health facilities - including hospitals, primary health care clinics and field hospitals - are offering a range of health care services to survivors of Haiti's earthquake. There is a strong need for post-operative care for the many people undergoing surgery for trauma
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Fighting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
18 November 2009 -- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a life-threatening lung disease that interferes with normal breathing; it affects an estimated 210 million people worldwide. The main causes are smoking, inhalation of tobacco smoke or inhalation of polluted indoor air. World COPD Day,
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Cancer publications including IARC
WHO is the exclusive distributor of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) publications. New editions are available in the IARC WHO Classification of Tumours series, including:
WHO Classification
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International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes UNAIDS
"[H]as brought to the forefront of public professional and political attention the significance of breast feeding and the need for appropriate programs to promote this fundamental biological activity. These need to include a substantial code to monitor the activities of the formula industry to avoid
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- The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions: Building Blocks for Action UNAIDS
“This report represents an important step towards preparing policy-makers health service planners and other relevant parties to take action that will reduce the threats chronic conditions pose to the health of their citizens their health care systems and their economies.”

- Dr Derek Yach , Executive Director WHO's Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health Cluster