Established in: 1948
Global presence: 194 countries

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has six regional offices[3] and 150 field offices worldwide. Only sovereign states are eligible to join, and it is the largest intergovernmental health organization at the international level.

The WHO's purpose is to achieve the highest possible level of health for all the world's people, defining health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The main functions of the World Health Organization include promoting the control of epidemic and endemic diseases; providing and improving the teaching and training in public health, the medical treatment of disease, and related matters; and promoting the establishment of international standards for biological products.