World Health Organization free essay sample

The World Health Organization is a global organization that works on health conditions throughout the world. The WHO works with countries all over the world to help fix health policies to improve health conditions and the quality of life. The World Health Organization is currently working on fixing and improving mental health policies throughout the world. The World Health Organization works on addressing health related issues throughout the world; an important issue they are working on now is mental health. The World Health Organization is the United Nation’s authority for health. It was established in 1948 to help improve health condition throughout the world. The WHO is made up of 8,000 people from 150 different countries. The headquarters of the World Health Organization is located in Geneva. The WHO is staffed with doctors, public health specialist, scientists, business administrators, and financial experts. The idea for the World Health Organization began in 1945 right after World War 2. Three doctors from China, Norway, and Brazil developed the idea for the World Health Organization. The UN Conference of International Organizations goal voted to establish the organization. In 1946, a year later the conference approved the World Health Organization. In 1948 the first meeting of the WHO met in Geneva, Switzerland. At the meeting they came up with a list of issues that they decided were important to address first. The priorities they came up with were addressing malaria, tuberculosis, venereal disease, mother and child health, sanitary engineering and nutrition. (McCarthy, Michael, 2010). Since the beginning of the World Health Organization they have helped address and work on many health issues that the world has faced. In 1958, they began working on ending the spread of small pox. Throughout the 1960s they worked on ending yaws, leprosy and trachoma through large campaigns. In 1974 they began a large campaign to vaccinate children worldwide to help fight disease like tuberculosis. During the 1990s they promoted awareness of the risks involved in lifestyle choices and made people aware that their actions could lead them to develop cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. Another important issue they have helped make people aware of is HIV/AIDS. Ono, Yutaka (2008) states†¦(442-449) The WHO has 6 points that they use to improve public health. These 6 points are: promoting development, fostering health security, strengthening health systems, harnessing research, information and evidence, enhancing partnerships, and improving performance. The World Health Organization has worked on promoting development by working with countries with very high poverty to prevent and treat chronic diseases. They have worked on health security by revising the International Health Regulations after a rapid increase of diseases due to the fast growth of cities, the environment being misused, and the improper use of antibiotics. The World Health Organization had worked to improve health systems by supplying countries in poverished areas with the correct equipment and trained staff to give proper health care. The WHO works with very well trained specialists that are well educated in the health field to help them with research, information, and evidence. The WHO works with many other organizations such as other UN agencies, private organizations, investors, and other international organizations. This helps them enhance their partnerships with other organizations. The World Health Organization work on improving their performance by constantly going through reforms that helps improve its efficiency. (Sopko, Kim Moherek, 2010). The World Health Organization creates programs to control and get rid of disease and to improve the quality of human life. The WHO has four main functions. The first function is to give guidance in the field of health. The second function is to set global standards for health. The third goal is to cooperate with governments in strengthening national health programs. The fourth goal is to develop and transfer appropriate health technology, information and standards. (Medical Schools and Nursing Colleges, 2010). One of the World Health Organization’s most recent areas of concern is addressing mental health. They are focusing on disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy and addictions. The WHO believes that mental and neurological disorders lead people to a great amount of suffering, dramatically increase their vulnerability, and lead individuals to a life of poverty. Many people are not aware and tend to discriminate against people ith mental disorders. This discriminations leads to people having their human rights violated and them being stripped from opportunities that every other citizen has. If the proper steps are taken to help promote mental health, we will see a great improvement in the lives of people affected by mental illnesses by helping them to grow and be productive healthy members of society. In order for the World Health Organization to see these improvements they need to work with the governments of different countries to improve their laws and policies about mental illness. These policies need to help address proper treatment plans, prevention plans and awareness programs. One issue that the World Health Organization is working on fixing currently is the use of marijuana in adolescence. The World Health Organization has found that use of marijuana in individuals who started using the drug before the age of 17 has led them to experience depression and many other mental problems later in their life. The World Health Organization conducted a surveyed a many diverse countries to studied the mental affects of smoking marijuana. The survey showed that there was a very high association between the use of marijuana and anxiety and depressive symptoms. These associations were most commonly found in high-income, western countries. Many of the participants in the study went through a â€Å"depressive spell† and other problems such as trouble sleeping, eating, energy, and lack of concentration, memory loss, and a decrease in self- confidence. The study also showed that women who begin smoking marijuana after the age of 16 are more likely to experience a spell of depression compared to men. The World Health Organization conducted a study that studied the relationship between a country’s amount of government funding and the suicide rate in that country. De Graaf (2010) descibes†¦(149-159) The WHO is currently working on making people aware of the significance of mental health issues. This study shows us that countries that are aware of the importance of mental health and choose to spend a good amount of government funding to work on improving services have a lower suicide rate. Other countries can help lower the suicide rate in their country by improving their mental health services. In April of 2002, President George Bush established the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. The commission recognized the importance of the role schools play in continuing the development of mental health services. The President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health’s goal is to have services financed by the school, which is staffed with mental health professionals. Another goal is for schools to make strong connections between local mental health services and the school. The commission would like to also see mental health clinics sponsored by the local school districts. Another point the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health would like to see is that school curriculums incorporate lessons on prevention. The World Health Organization was founded in an attempt to help address and solve the world’s different poor health conditions. The organization is made up of many different countries throughout the world. The WHO works with the different governments of the different countries to help improve the health policies. The World Health Organization has worked to help control and get rid of many diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. One of the current issues that they are working on is improving country’s policies for mental health.