Evaluate the role of the WHO in global health governance Essay

Evaluate the role of the WHO in global health governance - Essay Example This has resultantly called for the reassessment of the rules and institutions governing healthy policy and practice at various levels, including subnational level, national level, regional level and global level. This has been so due to a number of factors, which despite the fact that they are outsider the health sector brackets, they are progressively affecting health. Some of these factors include such as collective violence, trade and investment flows, conflict, criminal activity, communication technologies and environmental change (WHO 2010, p.1). This thus necessitates for the broadening of the agenda of public health to include the aforementioned global forces and at the same time see to it that human health is promoted and protected. It is however broadly believed that the international health governance system is not sufficiently meeting these needs and besides, this current system is characterised by a number of gaps and shortcomings. As a result of these perceived shortcom ings, the concept of global health governance has become a key interest area of debate in the field of international health. ... New health challenges, the likes of rising non-communicable chronic diseases and global warming have been looming on the horizon. This has greatly affected the role of the World Health Organisation (WHO) of availing leadership on worldwide health matter and moulding the health research agenda in a negative way. Having been founded in the aftermath of the World War II, WHO has been dedicated to making improvements in global health through its involvement in various public health initiatives, offering technical support and at times material aid geared towards helping in the fight against infectious and chronic diseases (WHO 1983, p.6). Role of the WHO Being the organisation of nation states aimed at promoting global health, WHO is an actor that focuses on the apprehension of social right in the health arena. Apart from being a core objective of the organisation, health for all is also an established principal wish of national and international health activities by all the world’ s nations. Undeniably, it is common knowledge that WHO’s primary function is to direct and coordinate matters concerning international health. Nevertheless, this intergovernmental organisation is obliged to see through the fulfilment of a considerably stout normative responsibility in the creation of health-related standards that strongly enhance cooperation (Burci & Vignes 2004, p.124). Among the key roles of the WHO was the creation of health-related legal instruments including such as agreements, regulations, conventions and recommendations which would permit it exercise rational and legal authority. Since it had been obliged with ensuring the improvement of the global health grants, this