Establishment of World Health Organisation April 7 , 1948: The WHO was established on 7 April 1948.[4][5] The first meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the agency's governing body, took place on 24 July of that year.

The WHO incorporated the assets, personnel, and duties of the League of Nations' Health Organization and the Office International d'Hygiène Publique, including the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).[6] Its work began in earnest in 1951 after a significant infusion of financial and technical resources.[7]

The WHO's mandate seeks and includes: working worldwide to promote health, keeping the world safe, and serve the vulnerable. It advocates that a billion more people should have: universal health care coverage, engagement with the monitoring of public health risks, coordinating responses to health emergencies, and promoting health and well-being.[8] It provides technical assistance to countries, sets international health standards, and collects data on global health issues. A publication, the World Health Report, provides assessments of worldwide health topics.[9] The WHO also serves as a forum for discussions of health issues.[2]