About WHO

• World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations’ specialized agency for Health. 
• Founded in 1948, the WHO is an inter-governmental organization of 194 member states (including India).
• WHO headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Functions of WHO

• WHO works globally to promote health, expand universal health coverage and respond to emergencies. 
• WHO 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.

How is WHO funded?  

• WHO receives funding through membership dues paid by Member States and voluntary contributions from Member States and other partners. 

World Health Assembly 

• The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the decision-making body of WHO. 
• It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. 
• The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget. 
• The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.

Why in News?

• India has committed over $300 million to WHO’s core program from 2025 to 2028, with $250 million allocated to the Centre of Excellence for Traditional Medicine.