The reasoning: WHO
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | Constitution adopted 1946; came into force 7 April 1948 (World Health Day) |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Members | 194 member states before the United States' withdrawal took effect (January 2026); verify the current count |
| Governance | World Health Assembly (WHA) (supreme decision‑making; meets annually in May; elects the Director‑General every 5 years; approves budget); Executive Board (34 technically qualified members, implements WHA decisions); Secretariat (Director‑General + staff) |
| Regional offices (6) | SEARO – New Delhi (India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, DPRK, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor‑Leste, Indonesia), AFRO – Brazzaville, AMRO/PAHO – Washington DC, EMRO – Cairo, EURO – Copenhagen, WPRO – Manila |
| Functions | Directing and coordinating international health work; norms and standards (guidelines, Essential Medicines List, ICD‑11, prequalification); IHR (2005) (amended 2024, in force September 2025); disease control and eradication (smallpox, polio); technical cooperation; research; emergencies (Health Emergencies Programme); health statistics |
| 🆕 Recent | WHO Pandemic Agreement adopted by the WHA in May 2025 (annex on pathogen access and benefit sharing under negotiation); the United States announced withdrawal from WHO in January 2025 (effective January 2026), affecting financing |